traditional
Handed down generationally
Traditional describes practices, beliefs, or customs passed down through generations rather than newly invented.
A traditional wedding follows established conventions.
Traditional medicine predates modern scientific approaches.
The word often implies continuity with the past: My family has a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Traditional can suggest resistance to change, sometimes approvingly (preserving heritage), sometimes critically (refusing to modernize).
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
rituals · elders · ancestors · roots · legacy · heirloom · birthright · inheritance
Belonging to earlier times
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
- orthodoxConforming to established belief
- conformistOne following accepted norms
- establishmentFounded organization or venue
old-school · strait-laced · buttoned-up · proper · decorous · formal · staid · stuffy
Unaffected by eras
- classicOf lasting excellence
- perennialRecurring each year
- lastingContinuing through time
- enduringPersisting through time
abiding · steadfast · unchanging · constant · eternal · ageless · immutable · time-tested
Of a cultural group
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- nativeOriginating from a place
- tribalOf a clan
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
folk · communal · village · regional · local · artisan · craftsman · handmade
Worthy of reverence
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- sacramentSacred ritual conveying grace
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
worship · observance · devout · pious · orthodox · canonical · scriptural · ecclesiastical
ancestry
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
ceremonies · rituals · elders · ancestors · roots · legacy · heirloom · birthright · inheritance · generational
old-fashioned
Belonging to earlier times
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
- orthodoxConforming to established belief
- conformistOne following accepted norms
establishment · old-school · strait-laced · buttoned-up · proper · decorous · formal · staid · stuffy · hidebound
timeless
Unaffected by eras
enduring · abiding · steadfast · unchanging · constant · eternal · ageless · immutable · time-tested · proven
ethnic
Of a cultural group
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- nativeOriginating from a place
- tribalOf a clan
clan · folk · communal · village · regional · local · artisan · craftsman · handmade · homespun
sacred
Worthy of reverence
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- sacramentSacred ritual conveying grace
ceremonial · worship · observance · devout · pious · orthodox · canonical · scriptural · ecclesiastical · doctrinal
vintage
Quality from past eras
bygone · yesteryear · old-world · quaint · charming · rustic · pastoral · timeworn · sepia-toned · sentimental
- -al adjectivescultural, emotional, environmental, federal, financial
- Building Adjectivesangular, arched, columned, domed, vaulted
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- dance qualitiesfluidity, graceful, musicality, rhythmic, grace
- decor stylesmodern, contemporary, rustic, bohemian, minimalist
- event adjectivesannual, scheduled, planned, recurring, upcoming
traditionalmodern
Of recent times
contemporary · current · up-to-date · futuristic · modernized
traditionalunconventional
Departing from standard practice
unorthodox · nontraditional · non-traditional · untraditional · nonconformist
traditionalinnovative
Introducing new ideas
revolutionary · novel · avant-garde · original · fresh
- family traditionCustom passed through generations
- traditional cultureEstablished customs of a people
- traditional gamesLong-established recreational activities
- traditional tattoosClassic bold-lined body art
- traditional skillsTime-honored practical abilities
- traditional marketsLocal vendor gathering places
tradition, traditions, traditionally, traditionalist, untraditional, traditionalism, nontraditional, traditionalists, untraditionally