tradition

The word “tradition” means a custom, belief, or practice passed down within a family, community, or culture over generations. In plain terms, something done a certain way because it has always been done that way, handed down over time.

“Tradition” is pronounced truh-DIHSH-uhn (/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ən/ in IPA).

Here is “tradition” used in a sentence: “Lighting candles at dinner is a tradition in her family.”

“Tradition” is a noun.

The word “tradition” comes from Latin. From Old French tradicion, from Latin trāditiō ("a handing over"), from trādō, "to hand down" — the same root that gives us "traitor" (someone who hands their country over to an enemy).

“Tradition” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Tradition” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a custom, belief, or practice passed down within a family, community, or culture over generations.

The two overlap heavily, but a custom is simply an accepted way of doing something within a group, while a tradition carries a stronger sense of being handed down through generations. Every tradition is a custom, yet a recent custom only becomes a tradition once it has been passed along over time.

Common examples include family gatherings at holidays, wedding customs like exchanging rings, national celebrations such as Thanksgiving or Diwali, and religious practices passed from one generation to the next. Anything a group repeats over time and treats as meaningful, from bedtime stories to annual festivals, can count as a tradition.

Traditions are often grouped by where they live: family traditions, religious traditions, cultural or national traditions, and social customs shared by a community. Some are oral, like stories and sayings; others are practical, like recipes or crafts; and many are ceremonial, marking births, weddings, and other milestones.

Traditions give people a sense of identity, belonging, and continuity, linking one generation to the next. They preserve shared values and memories, strengthen family and community bonds, and offer comfort and stability through familiar rituals. For many cultures, traditions are the main way knowledge and meaning are carried forward.

Yes. Although traditions feel fixed, they constantly adapt as circumstances, values, and technology shift. Details are added, dropped, or reinterpreted with each generation, and entirely new traditions form all the time. A practice can stay recognisably the same while its meaning or method quietly evolves.