A
tradition is a
belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past.
[1][2] Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like lawyer wigs or military officer
spurs), but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years—the word "tradition" itself derives from the
Latin tradere or
traderer literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is commonly assumed that traditions have ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether that be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Certain scholarly fields, such as
anthropology and
biology, have adapted the term "tradition," defining it more precisely than its conventional use in order to facilitate scholarly discourse.
The concept of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, it's the basis of the political concept of
traditionalism, and also
strands of many world religions including
traditional Catholicism. In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an art form. For example, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance), adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than the performer's own preferences. A number of factors can exacerbate the
loss of tradition, including industrialization,
globalization, and the assimilation or
marginalization of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional languages. Tradition is usually contrasted with the goal of
modernity and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, laws, norms, routines, rules and similar concepts.
tra·di·tion
(trə-dĭsh′ən)
n.
1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication:cultural practices that are preserved by tradition.
2.
a. A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom orusage: the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
b. A
set of
such customs and usages viewed as a
coherent body of
precedents influencing the present:followed family tradition in dress and manners. See Synonyms at
heritage.
3. A precept or a body of precepts that are not written in the sacred book of a religion, such as the Bible, but areconsidered holy or true.
4. A style or method of an activity or practice, especially of artistic expression, that is recognized and sometimesimitated: satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift.
5. A piece of folklore: "a popular medieval tradition that identified the queen of Sheba with the Blessed Virgin Mary"(Nicholas Clapp).
[Middle English tradicioun,
from Old French, from Latin trāditiō, trāditiōn-,
from trāditus,
past participle of
trādere,
to hand over, deliver, entrust :
trā-, trāns-,
trans- +
dare,
to give;
see dō- in
Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tradition
(trəˈdɪʃən)
n
1. the handing down from generation to generation of the same customs, beliefs, etc, esp by word of mouth
2. the body of customs, thought, practices, etc, belonging to a particular country, people, family, or institution over arelatively long period
3. a specific custom or practice of long standing
4. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity a doctrine or body of doctrines regarded as having been established by Christ orthe apostles though not contained in Scripture
5. (Judaism) (often capital) Judaism a body of laws regarded as having been handed down from Moses orally andonly committed to writing in the 2nd century ad
6. (Islam) the beliefs and customs of Islam supplementing the Koran, esp as embodied in the Sunna
7. (Law) law chiefly Roman law Scots law the act of formally transferring ownership of movable property; delivery
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