Definitions for traditiontrəˈdɪʃ ən

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word tradition

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

tra•di•tiontrəˈdɪʃ ən(n.)


  2. something that is so handed down:

    the traditions of the Eskimos.


    a break with tradition.

  4. (among Jews) a body of laws and doctrines, or any one of them, held to have been received from Moses and orig. handed down orally from generation to generation. (among Christians) a body of teachings, or any one of them, held to have been delivered by Christ and His apostles but not orig. committed to writing.

    Category: Religion, Judaism

Origin of tradition:

1350–1400; ME tradicion < OF < L trāditiō handing over, transfer <trādi, var. s. of trādere to give over (trā-, var. of trāns-trans - +-dere, comb. form of dare to give)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. tradition(noun)

    an inherited pattern of thought or action

  2. custom, tradition(noun)

    a specific practice of long standing

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. tradition(noun)əˈdɪʃ ən

    a custom, belief, etc. that has existed for a very long time

    a Zulu tradition; a family tradition


  1. tradition(Noun)


  2. tradition(Noun)

    A commonly held system.

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

Webster Dictionary

  1. Tradition(noun)

    the act of delivering into the hands of another; delivery

  2. Tradition(noun)


  3. Tradition(noun)


  4. Tradition(noun)

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

  5. Tradition(noun)


  6. Tradition(verb)

    to transmit by way of tradition; to hand down


  1. Tradition


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.

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

Translations for tradition

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary


(the process of passing on from generation to generation) customs, beliefs, stories etc

These songs have been preserved by tradition.

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