traditionalism

T1R1A1D2I1T1I1O1N1A1L1I1S1M3

noun

The adherence to traditional views or practices, especially with regard to cultural or religious matters.

UncommonScrabble 17

Meanings

nountraditionalism (countable and uncountable, plural traditionalisms)

plural traditionalisms

  1. countableuncountableThe adherence to traditional views or practices, especially with regard to cultural or religious matters.
  2. countableuncountableThe continuation of theological rituals on the basis that the ritual has always completed, rather than the ritual being a manifestation of theology.
  3. countableuncountableA philosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion and rule of certitude; the doctrine that human reason is of itself radically unable to know with certainty any truth or, at least, the fundamental truths of the metaphysical, moral, and religious order.
    1 more example

    But Drey also gave to the systematic theology of this school its peculiar stamp, equi-distinct from Traditionalism and Rationalism, recognizing on the one hand the objective facts in the history of Revelation and the tradition from generation to generation, maintaining on the other the rights of our natural reason and of philosophical speculation, with all due loyalty to dogma.

    1913, “Johann Sebastian von Drey”, in Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounstrict adherence to traditional methods or teachings

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*terh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*térh₂t
  3. Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂ónts
  4. Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂n̥ts
  5. Proto-Italic*trāns
  6. Latintrāns
  7. Proto-Indo-European*deh₃-redup.
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dédeh₃ti
  9. Proto-Italic*didō
  10. Latindō
  11. Latintrādō
  12. Latintrāditiō
  13. Old Frenchtradicion
  14. Middle Englishtradicioun
  15. Englishtradition
  16. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  18. Englishtraditional
  19. Englishtraditionalism

From traditional + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan tradicionalisme
  • tradicionalismeadherence to traditional views
Chinese Mandarin 傳統主義 /传统主义, 傳統主義 /传统主义
  • 傳統主義 /传统主义 (chuántǒngzhǔyì)adherence to traditional views
  • 傳統主義 /传统主义 (chuántǒngzhǔyì)philosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion
Finnish perinteisyys, traditionalismi
  • perinteisyysadherence to traditional views
  • traditionalismiphilosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion
Greek παραδοσιαρχία
  • παραδοσιαρχία (paradosiarchía)philosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion
Polish tradycjonalizm, tradycjonalizm
  • tradycjonalizmadherence to traditional views
  • tradycjonalizmphilosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion
Russian традиционали́зм, традиционали́зм
  • традиционали́зм (tradicionalízm)adherence to traditional views
  • традиционали́зм (tradicionalízm)philosophical system which makes tradition the supreme criterion
Spanish tradicionalismo
  • tradicionalismoadherence to traditional views
Cite this entry
APA

traditionalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traditionalism

MLA

“traditionalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traditionalism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “traditionalism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traditionalism.

Source: traditionalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.