traditionalism

noun

tra·​di·​tion·​al·​ism trə-ˈdi-sh(ə-)nə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce traditionalism (audio)
1
: adherence to the doctrines or practices of a tradition
2
: the beliefs of those opposed to modernism, liberalism, progressivism, or radicalism
traditionalist noun
plural traditionalists
traditionalist adjective
traditionalistic adjective

Examples of traditionalism in a Sentence

a staunch supporter of grammatical traditionalism, my English teacher didn't care what the experts in linguistics said
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Like The Substance, there’s a vein of selfishness born from societal powerlessness underpinning the film, here focusing on the unique clash of ultra-modernity and traditionalism experienced in China and Hong Kong at the dawn of the new millennium. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 The traditionalism of the American diplomat George Kennan, the theological realism of Reinhold Niebuhr, and the blatant elitism of the famed journalist Walter Lippmann did not at all seem that different from the general outlook that the Weimar émigrés Guilhot examines. Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2017 The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack. Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024 Los Angeles is both very Catholic and progressive, something that can put many of the city’s 3.3 million Latino Catholics at odds with Gomez’s traditionalism. Alejandra Molina, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for traditionalism 

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of traditionalism was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near traditionalism

Cite this Entry

“Traditionalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traditionalism. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!