What does "traditionalism" mean?
The adherence to traditional views or practices, especially with regard to cultural or religious matters.
Traditionalism
noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The adherence to traditional views or practices, especially with regard to cultural or religious matters.
- Grammar: traditionalism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accommodation, accord, accordance, acquiescence.
- Useful contrasts: french revolution ideas, catalan modernisme, modernism.
- Usage evidence: Traditionalism means that one prefers a silver salt shaker which does not pour any salt over one from plastic which actually pours salt.
How to use "traditionalism"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "traditionalism" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "traditionalism" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "traditionalism" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "traditionalism" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "traditionalism" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accommodation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "traditionalism", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The adherence to traditional views or practices, especially with regard to cultural or religious matters. countable, uncountable
- 2 adherence to tradition (especially in cultural or religious matters) wordnet
- 3 The continuation of theological rituals on the basis that the ritual has always completed, rather than the ritual being a manifestation of theology. countable, uncountable
- 4 strict adherence to traditional methods or teachings wordnet
- 5 A 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. countable, uncountable
"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."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 the doctrine that all knowledge was originally derived by divine revelation and that it is transmitted by traditions wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Traditionalism means that one prefers a silver salt shaker which does not pour any salt over one from plastic which actually pours salt."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "traditionalism"?
Common synonyms include: accommodation, accord, accordance, acquiescence, adaptation, adaption.
How do you use "traditionalism" in a sentence?
Traditionalism means that one prefers a silver salt shaker which does not pour any salt over one from plastic which actually pours salt.
Etymology
From traditional + -ism.