What does tradition mean?

Definitions for tradition
trəˈdɪʃ əntra·di·tion

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word tradition.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. traditionnoun

    an inherited pattern of thought or action

  2. custom, traditionnoun

    a specific practice of long standing

Wiktionary

  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 Dictionary

  1. Traditionnoun

    Etymology: tradition, Fr. traditio, Lat.

    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.

    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.

Wikipedia

  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.

ChatGPT

  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 Dictionary

  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

Wikidata

  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 Dictionary

  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 Dictionary

  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

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?

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. Peter Guber:

    Los Angeles is a city famed for its creativity and innovation, in that tradition, we look forward to building a premier club, in a state-of-the-art stadium delivering a state-of-the-heart experience, and brining the world’s game to the City of Angels.

  2. Ronald Livius:

    It's just tradition. It has nothing to do with racism.

  3. June Jordan:

    All of Western tradition, from the late bloom of the British Empire right through the early doom of Vietnam, dictates that you do something spectacular and irreversible whenever you find yourself in or whenever you impose yourself upon a wholly unfamiliar situation belonging to somebody else. Frequently it's your soul or your honor or your manhood, or democracy itself, at stake.

  4. Albert Einstein, The World As I See It (autobio, 1934):

    The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the desire for personal independence - these are the features of Jewish tradition that make me thank my stars that I belong to it.

  5. Bruno Lannes:

    The crackdown took away the gifting... that was a tradition in China, and luxury brands were very good for that, especially in the male category.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

tradition#1#4869#10000

Translations for tradition

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"tradition." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/tradition>.

Discuss these tradition definitions with the community:

1 Comment
  • Ashebir Tadesse
    Ashebir Tadesse
    tradition is a socially constructed knowledge and practice pased down to the next generation through oral and practical performances.
    LikeReply 24 years ago

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