maintain tradition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "maintain tradition" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the importance of preserving customs, practices, or beliefs within a culture, organization, or family. Example: "In our community, we strive to maintain tradition by celebrating our annual festival with the same rituals passed down through generations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"How do you blend in, maintain tradition, do your own thing and add to tradition?" Banks asked.

The New York Times - Sports

At Catholic schools, the adults are in charge: they maintain tradition and respond quickly to the changing needs of the students.

The New York Times

"You do have to maintain tradition, but it's not a display in a museum," said Yang Wen, a chef whose restaurant, Lotus Shadow, features refined dishes, like braised shrimp infused with jasmine tea, that are a world away from the homespun fare favored by old-school revivalists.

The New York Times - Food

Because the job given by the Creator to fish is to offer themselves as food, and the job given to humans is to respectfully harvest these fish, people like Richard who are working to maintain tradition feel obligated to maintain these roles.

Ecological Processes

The museum also looks at the charitable role played by the social aid and pleasure clubs (better known today as benevolent societies) that gained popularity at the turn of the century, and their struggle to maintain tradition in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

BBC

IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Update on Japan's nuke crisis: Tap water warning lifted for Tokyo infants, but spreading elsewhere; Workers at stricken plant hospitalized for radiation exposure; Nukes now less popular in the US (for some reason); King crab invasion at the South Pole; PLUS: Japanese villages struggle to maintain tradition amidst disaster..

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Campaigners say parents' decisions cannot be divorced from pressures within the wider community to maintain traditions.

The Guardian

A Romanian MEP candidate is campaigning on an anti-gay ticket, claiming that the European parliament is failing to maintain traditions and family values.

The Guardian

I think we need to be encouraged to read more books because it's important to maintain traditions of language.

BBC

Exceptionalizing the incidental information discovered through genetics has no rational basis except to maintain traditions that are becoming increasingly impractical as genomics medicine arrives.

Huffington Post

If your faith expects you (and others) to maintain traditions to live with lifelong pain and suffering, I return to my original question.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about cultural practices, use "maintain tradition" to show respect for the continuation of valued customs and beliefs. For instance, "The community works hard to maintain tradition through annual festivals".

Common error

Avoid implying that "maintain tradition" means rigidly adhering to the past without adaptation. Traditions evolve; acknowledge this by showing how they are "maintained" while adapting to modern contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintain tradition" functions as a verb phrase where "maintain" acts as a transitive verb taking "tradition" as its direct object. This construction describes the act of preserving or continuing a customary practice or belief. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Wiki

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "maintain tradition" is a grammatically sound expression used to describe the act of preserving and continuing established customs, beliefs, or practices. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While its register is generally neutral to formal, its communicative purpose is to emphasize the importance of cultural heritage and societal values. Although relatively uncommon, the phrase appears in diverse contexts, predominantly in news articles and scientific discussions. Alternatives like "uphold tradition" and "preserve tradition" offer nuanced ways to express similar ideas, focusing on active support or safeguarding against change, respectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

uphold tradition

Focuses on actively supporting and defending a tradition.

preserve tradition

Emphasizes keeping a tradition intact and unchanged.

conserve tradition

Highlights careful management and protection of a tradition.

sustain tradition

Implies providing ongoing support to keep a tradition alive.

continue tradition

Focuses on the unbroken continuation of a traditional practice.

keep up tradition

Suggests making an effort to continue a tradition despite challenges.

safeguard tradition

Emphasizes protecting a tradition from harm or decline.

foster tradition

Implies actively promoting and encouraging a tradition.

cultivate tradition

Focuses on nurturing and developing a tradition over time.

cherish tradition

Highlights the value and importance attached to a tradition.

FAQs

How can I use "maintain tradition" in a sentence?

Use "maintain tradition" to describe efforts to continue established customs or beliefs, such as, "The family strives to "maintain tradition" by celebrating holidays in the same way each year".

What are some alternatives to "maintain tradition"?

You can use alternatives like "uphold tradition", "preserve tradition", or "conserve tradition depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "maintain tradition" or "uphold tradition"?

Both ""maintain tradition"" and "uphold tradition" are correct, but "uphold" suggests a more active and assertive effort to support the tradition.

What's the difference between "maintain tradition" and "preserve tradition"?

"Maintain tradition" suggests keeping a tradition alive and ongoing, while "preserve tradition" implies protecting it from change or loss.