TRADITIONAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does traditional mean? 

• TRADITIONAL (adjective)
  The adjective TRADITIONAL has 2 senses:

1. consisting of or derived from tradition

2. pertaining to time-honored orthodox doctrines

  Familiarity information: TRADITIONAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TRADITIONAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consisting of or derived from tradition

Context example:

traditional morality

Similar:

classic; classical (well-known and long-established in form or style)

conventional (in accord with or being a tradition or practice accepted from the past)

handed-down; tralatitious (having been passed along from generation to generation)

traditionalistic (adhering to tradition especially in cultural or religious practices)

Antonym:

nontraditional (not conforming to or in accord with tradition)

Derivation:

tradition (a specific practice of long standing)

tradition (an inherited pattern of thought or action)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pertaining to time-honored orthodox doctrines

Context example:

the simple security of traditional assumptions has vanished

Similar:

orthodox (adhering to what is commonly accepted)

Derivation:

tradition (a specific practice of long standing)

tradition (an inherited pattern of thought or action)

traditionality (strict adherence to traditional methods or teachings)

 Context examples 

Such an approach has the potential to significantly reduce breeding time compared to traditional methods.

(Harnessing tomato jumping genes could help speed-breed drought-resistant crops, University of Cambridge)

Traditional methods for evaluating treatment outcome focus on disease state.

(Patient-Focused Outcomes, NCI Thesaurus)

A class of clinical study that combines elements characteristic of traditional Phase I and Phase II trials.

(phase I/II trial, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A traditional unit of length equal to 152.4 centimeters, or 1.52 meter.

(Pace Unit of Measure, NCI Thesaurus)

"Following a traditional Mediterranean diet that is high in plant-based foods and oily fish could be an easy, safe and effective way to reduce asthma symptoms in children," Professor Itsiopoulos said.

(Fish-Rich Diet Beneficial for Children with Asthma, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

In traditional Chinese medicine, a type of heat therapy in which an herb is burned on or above the skin to warm and stimulate an acupuncture point or affected area.

(Moxibustion, NCI Dictionary)

A traditional unit of distance equal to 5280 international feet, 1760 international yards, or 1609.344 meters.

(Mile, NCI Thesaurus)

A type of clinical study that combines elements characteristic of traditional Phase II and Phase III trials.

(phase II/III trial, NCI Thesaurus)

He says the pen can deliver results within 20 seconds and is much less invasive for the patient than the traditional method of diagnosis.

(New Invention Detects Cancer in Seconds, VOA/Elizabeth Lee)

The Houyhnhnms have no letters, and consequently their knowledge is all traditional.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)