tradition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "tradition" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to customs, practices, or beliefs that are passed down through generations. Example: "In our family, it is a tradition to gather for dinner every Sunday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In the law of torts, our tradition, our law, has been that you don't have the duty to rescue someone if that person is in danger.

The New York Times

The palace source added: "It is the tradition now that after the general election the Queen is at Windsor until such a time as someone is able to form a new government.

The Guardian

Lauten's comments are part of a tradition of youth being caricatured as deviant.

The Guardian - Opinion

Telling teenagers how to dress is at least a proper tradition with a long history.

The Guardian - Opinion

The report represents the most significant political pressure yet to bring mindfulness into the mainstream and comes amid a boom in public interest in the practice, rooted in a 2,400-year-old 2,400-year-old 2,400-year-old

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The ancient Zoroastrian festival marking the spring equinox, Nowruz, which started on Saturday, encompasses the revered tradition of Eid-Didani, or visiting one another.

The Guardian

And it's a new tradition that's set to continue.

The Guardian

While the decision disappointed some, particularly those trumpeting the charismatic claims of Yousafzai, the decision marks something of a return to the tradition of honouring work directly connected to disarmament, after the EU in 2012 and the even more controversial prize to Barack Obama in 2009.

The Guardian

Many commentators noted that the letter, like the Republican invitation to the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to address Congress last week without consulting the White House, marked a dramatic break from the tradition that partisan politics should "stop at the water's edge" and not spread into critical US defence and security policy abroad.

The Guardian

In an interview with the Guardian and a collection of other newspapers at his campaign office, Carswell instead placed himself in the tradition of the great Victorian Liberal prime minister William Gladstone rather than the Tory Benjamin Disraeli.

The Guardian

Marren's research, however, reveals a long tradition of butterflies representing dark desires, fallen angels, temptation and death.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Place "tradition" in contexts involving cultural, religious or institutional history to underscore communal identity and shared values.

Common error

Do not label a personal repetitive action as a "tradition" unless it has been passed down from others or established over a very long period. For recent individual habits, use "routine" or "practice" instead.

Linguistic Context

"tradition" primarily functions as a noun, though it can rarely serve as a verb meaning to transmit by way of tradition. According to Ludwig AI, its use as a noun to denote cultural inheritance is standard and correct. It frequently acts as the head of a noun phrase or the object of a preposition, such as "according to "tradition"" or "breaking with "tradition"".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Academia

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Wiki

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

A comprehensive analysis of "tradition" confirms its status as a vital noun for describing the persistence of culture and social systems over time. Ludwig AI identifies it as a correct and highly versatile term, appearing in over 60 high-quality examples from prestigious sources like The Guardian and The New York Times. Whether used to discuss political "traditions" of a nation or the culinary "traditions" of a region, the word consistently conveys a sense of historical authority and communal belonging. Writers should feel confident using "tradition" in both formal and neutral settings, while distinguishing it from shorter-term "customs" or personal "habits" to maintain semantic precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

custom

Focuses more on specific repetitive behaviors or social practices than on broad generational transmission

heritage

Emphasizes the value or physical/cultural assets inherited from previous generations

cultural heritage

Specifically targets the artistic, social and historical elements of a society

long-standing practice

More descriptive and literal, highlighting the duration of the activity

time-honored custom

An idiomatic expression that adds a sense of reverence and age to the practice

ritual

Suggests a more ceremonial or structured series of actions often performed for symbolic reasons

legacy

Refers specifically to what is left behind by a person or group after they are gone

convention

Indicates a generally accepted way of doing something, often driven by social agreement rather than history

folklore

Restricted to the oral stories, legends and myths within a specific culture

established habit

Focuses on the regularity and stability of an action, often at a personal or organizational level

FAQs

How to use "tradition" in a sentence?

In English, "tradition" is typically used to describe cultural practices, as in: "It is a local "tradition" to light candles during the winter solstice". Examples from Ludwig show it often appears with adjectives like "rich", "long" or "long-standing".

What can I say instead of "tradition"?

Depending on your specific meaning, you can use alternatives like "custom" for social behaviors, "heritage" for cultural inheritance, or "ritual" for ceremonial acts.

What is the difference between "tradition" and "custom"?

While both refer to repeated behaviors, a "tradition" implies a longer historical lineage and generational transmission, whereas a "custom" may be a more recent or localized social habit.

Which is correct, "by tradition" or "traditionally"?

Both are grammatically correct. Use "traditionally" as an adverb to modify a verb (e.g. "traditionally eaten"), and use "by "tradition"" as a prepositional phrase to indicate the reason or source of an action.