Standard Lemma guide

tradition

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • trə-dishʹ(ə)n
  • /tɹəˈdɪʃ.ən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AH0 D IH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A commonly held system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • They followed the tradition of lighting candles for special occasions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An established or distinctive style or method

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Following tradition, the victorious athlete runs a lap around the track.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of delivering into the hands of another; delivery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The entirety of a text's transmission; all the versions of a work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, textual-criticism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To transmit by way of tradition; to hand down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a specific practice of long standing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: custom

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: practice

Narrower terms: habit, wont, Hadith, institution

8

noun

Meaning 8

an inherited pattern of thought or action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: content, cognitive content, mental object

History

Etymology

From Middle English tradicioun, from Old French tradicion, from Latin trāditiō, from the verb trādō. Doublet of treason.

Across languages

Translations

196 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: tradisie — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Albanian: traditë — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Albanian: gojdhânë — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Arabic: تَقْلِيد (taqlīd) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Armenian: ավանդույթ (avanduytʻ) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Assamese: পৰম্পৰা (porompora) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Asturian: tradición — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Azerbaijani: ənənə — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Azerbaijani: adət-ənənə — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bashkir: ғөрөф-ғәҙәт (ğöröf-ğəźət) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bashkir: ғәҙәт (ğəźət) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bashkir: йола (yola) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bashkir: традиция (traditsiya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Basque: tradizio — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Basque: usadio — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Basque: ohitura — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Belarusian: трады́цыя (tradýcyja) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: ঐতিহ্য (ōitijjho) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: রীতি (riti) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: প্রথা (protha) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: তমদ্দুন (tomoddun) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: রসম (rośom) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bengali: রেওয়াজ (reōẇaj) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Bulgarian: тради́ция (tradícija) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Burmese: ပဝေဏီ (pa.weni) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Burmese: ဓလေ့ (dha.le.) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Carpathian Rusyn: траді́ція (tradícija) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Catalan: tradició — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Chechen: ламаст (lamast) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Chinese Cantonese: 傳統 /传统 — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Chinese: чуантун (čuantun) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Eastern Min Chinese: 傳統 /传统 (diòng-tūng) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hakka Chinese: 傳統 /传统 (chhòn-thúng) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Chinese: 傳統 /传统 (toân-thóng, thoân-thóng) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傳統 /传统 (chuántǒng) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Wu Chinese: 傳統 /传统 (6zoe-thon) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Czech: tradice — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Danish: tradition — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Danish: overlevering — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Dutch: traditie — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Esperanto: tradicio — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Estonian: traditsioon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Estonian: tava — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Estonian: komme — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Estonian: pärimus — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Finnish: perimätieto — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Finnish: perinne — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Finnish: traditio — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • French: tradition — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Georgian: ტრადიცია (ṭradicia) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Georgian: ჩვეულება (čveuleba) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Georgian: წეს-ჩვევა (c̣es-čveva) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • German: Tradition — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • German: Überlieferung — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • German: Urüberlieferung — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Greek: παράδοση (parádosi) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Ancient Greek: παράδοσις (parádosis) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Mbya Guarani: eko — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Gujarati: પરંપરા (paramprā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hebrew: מסורת \ מָסֹרֶת (masóret) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hindi: परंपरा (paramparā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hindi: रस्म (rasm) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hungarian: hagyomány — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Hungarian: tradíció — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Icelandic: hefð — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Ido: tradiciono — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Indonesian: tradisi — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Indonesian: adat — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Ingrian: tapa — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Irish: traidisiún — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Italian: tradizione — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Japanese: 伝統 (dentō) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kannada: ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯ (sampradāya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kazakh: салт-дәстүр (salt-dästür) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kazakh: әдет-ғұрпы (ädet-ğūrpy) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kazakh: салт (salt) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kazakh: дәстүр (dästür) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Khmer: ប្រពៃណី (prɑpɨynii) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Khmer: ប្រវេណី (prɑveenii) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Khmer: បវេណី (paʼveinii) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Korean: 전통 (jeontong) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Northern Kurdish: kevneşopî — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Northern Kurdish: tradîsyon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kyrgyz: традиция (traditsiya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kyrgyz: адат (adat) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kyrgyz: салт (salt) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Kyrgyz: каада-салт (kaada-salt) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Lao: ປະເພນີ (pa phē nī) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Lao: ທັມນຽມ (tham nīam) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Lao: ຈາລີດ (chā līt) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Latin: cōnsuētūdō — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Latin: trāditiō — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Latvian: paraža — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Latvian: tradīcija — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Lithuanian: tradicija — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Low German: Traditschoon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Luhya: butamaduni — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Luxembourgish: Traditioun — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Macedonian: тради́ција (tradícija) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Macedonian: преда́ние (predánie) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Malay: tradisi — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Malay: adat — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Malayalam: പാരമ്പര്യം (pāramparyaṁ) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Maltese: tradizzjoni — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Marathi: परंपरा (paramprā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Eastern Mari: йӱла (jüla) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Mongolian: уламжлал (ulamžlal) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Nepali: परम्परा (paramparā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Nepali: चलन (calan) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tradisjon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overlevering — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tradisjon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: overlevering — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Pali: paveṇi — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Pashto: دود (dod) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Pashto: عنعنه ('an'ana) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Pashto: چوچ (čoč) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Iranian Persian: سُنَّت (sonnat) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Iranian Persian: آئین (â'in) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Iranian Persian: آیین (âyin) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Iranian Persian: تَراداد (tarâdâd) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Iranian Persian: رَسْم (rasm) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Polish: tradycja — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Portuguese: tradição — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Punjabi: ਪਰੰਪਰਾ (paramprā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Romanian: tradiție — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Romanian: datină — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Russian: тради́ция (tradícija) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Russian: преда́ние (predánije) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sanskrit: परम्परा (paramparā) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sanskrit: सम्प्रदाय (sampradāya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sanskrit: पारम्पर्य (pāramparya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sanskrit: आगम (āgama) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sanskrit: स्मृति (smṛti) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Scots: tradeetion — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Scottish Gaelic: dualchas — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Scottish Gaelic: beul-aithris — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Scottish Gaelic: beul-oideas — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Scottish Gaelic: seachadas — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Serbo-Croatian: тра̀дӣција — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Serbo-Croatian: преда́ње — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Serbo-Croatian: tràdīcija — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Serbo-Croatian: predánje — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Sinhalese: චාරිත්රය (cāritraya) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Slovak: tradícia — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Slovene: tradicija — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Spanish: tradición — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swahili: tamaduni — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swahili: itikadi — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swahili: utamaduni — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swahili: tabia — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swahili: desturi — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Swedish: tradition — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tagalog: kamihasnan — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tagalog: kaugalian — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tagalog: pinamulihan — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tagalog: tradisyon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tajik: анъана (an'ana) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tajik: суннат (sunnat) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tajik: расм (rasm) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tamil: பாரம்பரியம் (pārampariyam) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Telugu: సంప్రదాయం (sampradāyaṁ) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Thai: ประเพณี (bprà-pee-nii) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Thai: แบบแผน (bɛ̀ɛp-pɛ̌ɛn) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Thai: ธรรมเนียม (tam-niiam) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Thai: จารีต (jaa-rîit) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Tibetan: ལུགས་སྲོལ — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkish: gelenek — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkish: töre — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkish: tradisyon — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Ottoman Turkish: عنعنه (anane) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkmen: dessur — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkmen: däp-dessur — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkmen: däp — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Turkmen: ýörelge — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Ukrainian: тради́ція (tradýcija) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Urdu: رِوایَت (rivāyat) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Urdu: حَدِیث (hadīs) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Urdu: رِواج (rivāj) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Urdu: سُنَّت (sunnat) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Urdu: رَسْم (rasm) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uyghur: رەسىم (resim) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uyghur: ئەنئەنە (en'ene) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uyghur: ترادىتسىيە (traditsiye) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uzbek: anʼana — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uzbek: rasm — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Uzbek: traditsiya — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Vietnamese: sự truyền miệng — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Vietnamese: phong tục — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Vietnamese: truyền thống — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Walloon: uzance — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Welsh: traddodiad — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Yiddish: מסורה (mesoyre) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Yiddish: מעסוירע (mesoyre) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Yiddish: טראַדיציע (traditsye) — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
  • Zazaki: dode — a part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation
Real reading context

tradition in complete knowledge articles