Definitions for tradition
trəˈdɪʃ əntra·di·tion

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 20 votes

1. traditionnoun

   an inherited pattern of thought or action

2. custom, traditionnoun

   a specific practice of long standing

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.6 / 28 votes

1. traditionnoun

   A part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation, possibly differing in detail from family to family, such as the way to celebrate holidays.

2. traditionnoun

   A commonly held system.

3. Etymology: From traditio, from the verb tradere.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Traditionnoun

   Etymology: tradition, Fr. traditio, Lat.

   1. The act or practise of delivering accounts from mouth to mouth without written memorials; communication from age to age.

   To learn it we have tradition; namely, that so we believe, because both we from our predecessors, and they from theirs, have so received. Richard Hooker, b. iii.

   2. Any thing delivered orally from age to age.

   They the truth
   With superstitions and traditions taint,
   Left only in those written records pure. John Milton.

   Our old solemnities
   From no blind zeal, or fond tradition rise;
   But sav’d from death, our Argives yearly pay
   These grateful honours to the God of day. Alexander Pope, Statius.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tradition

   A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like lawyers' wigs or military officers' spurs), but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years—the word tradition itself derives from the Latin tradere literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is commonly assumed that traditions have an ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether that be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Various academic disciplines also use the word in a variety of ways. The phrase "according to tradition", or "by tradition", usually means that whatever information follows is known only by oral tradition, but is not supported (and perhaps may be refuted) by physical documentation, by a physical artifact, or other quality evidence. Tradition is used to indicate the quality of a piece of information being discussed. For example, "According to tradition, Homer was born on Chios, but many other locales have historically claimed him as theirs." This tradition may never be proven or disproven. In another example, "King Arthur, by tradition a true British king, has inspired many well loved stories." Whether they are documented fact or not does not decrease their value as cultural history and literature.Traditions are a subject of study in several academic fields, especially in social sciences such as folklore studies, anthropology, archaeology, and biology. The concept of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, it is the basis of the political concept of traditionalism, and also strands of many world religions including traditional Catholicism. In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an art form. For example, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance), adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than the performer's own preferences. A number of factors can exacerbate the loss of tradition, including industrialization, globalization, and the assimilation or marginalization of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional languages. Tradition is usually contrasted with the goal of modernity and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, laws, norms, routines, rules and similar concepts.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tradition

   Tradition refers to a set of customs, beliefs, practices, or values that are passed down from generation to generation within a particular group or society. It can include various aspects of cultural heritage, such as rituals, celebrations, folklore, art, music, cuisine, and social behaviors. Traditions often play a significant role in shaping and maintaining the identity, cohesion, and continuity of a community or society. They provide a sense of shared history and values, and are often upheld and respected through adherence and repetition.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.6 / 16 votes

1. Traditionnoun

   the act of delivering into the hands of another; delivery

2. Traditionnoun

   the unwritten or oral delivery of information, opinions, doctrines, practices, rites, and customs, from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any knowledge, opinions, or practice, from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials

3. Traditionnoun

   hence, that which is transmitted orally from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; knowledge or belief transmitted without the aid of written memorials; custom or practice long observed

4. Traditionnoun

   an unwritten code of law represented to have been given by God to Moses on Sinai

5. Traditionnoun

   that body of doctrine and discipline, or any article thereof, supposed to have been put forth by Christ or his apostles, and not committed to writing

6. Traditionverb

   to transmit by way of tradition; to hand down

FreebaseRate this definition:3.7 / 25 votes

1. Tradition

   A tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes, but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years—the word "tradition" itself derives from the Latin tradere or traderer literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is commonly assumed that traditions have ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether that be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Certain scholarly fields, such as anthropology and biology, have adapted the term "tradition," defining it more precisely than its conventional use in order to facilitate scholarly discourse. The concept of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, the political concept of traditionalism is based around it, as are strands of many world religions including traditional Catholicism. In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an art form. For example, in the performance of traditional genres, adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than the performer's own preferences. A number of factors can exacerbate the loss of tradition, including industrialization, globalization, and the assimilation or marginalization of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional languages. Tradition is usually contrasted with the goal of modernity and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, laws, norms, routines, rules and similar concepts.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:3.3 / 3 votes

1. Tradition

   tra-dish′un, n. the handing down of opinions or practices to posterity unwritten: a belief or practice thus handed down.—adjs. Tradi′tional, Tradi′tionary, delivered by tradition.—ns. Tradi′tionalism; Traditional′ity.—advs. Tradi′tionally, Tradi′tionarily.—n. Tradi′tionist, one who adheres to tradition.—adj. Trad′itive, traditional. [L.,—trans, over, dăre, to give.]

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. tradition

   1. Salvation through ossification; redemption through folklore; a fetter for the foolish. 2. A clock that tells what time it was. 3. A method of holding the many back while some man does the thing which they declare is impossible.

Matched Categories

1. • Cognitive Content
   • Practice

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tradition' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1997

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tradition' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3913

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tradition' in Nouns Frequency: #694

How to pronounce tradition?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say tradition in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tradition in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tradition in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of tradition in a Sentence

1. Foreign Minister Stephane Dion:

   The Canadian tradition, The Canadian tradition works, the Canadian tradition has been The Canadian tradition, an asset for our country.

2. George Eliot:

   The tendancy of liberals is to create bodies of men and women-of all classes-detached from tradition, alienated from religion, and susceptible to mass suggestion-mob rule. And a mob will be no less a mob if it is well fed, well clothed, well housed, and well disciplined.

3. Maria Neira:

   A tradition that forces a girl to get married at 13 is a bad tradition, it's time to fight all of those traditions.

4. Winston Churchill:

   Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.

5. Queen Constance:

   Behind every successful man must be a very successful, staunch woman, our tradition has it that when you are king, the elderly wives remain to hand down the tradition to the younger wives, and also to teach the king the tradition because the king had been a prince, not a king.

Popularity rank by frequency of use