Conventional vs. Traditional — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 28, 2023
Conventional pertains to what's widely accepted or expected, while Traditional relates to customs and beliefs passed through generations. Both describe norms, but from different contexts.
Difference Between Conventional and Traditional
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Conventional and Traditional are both adjectives used to describe prevalent practices or norms. Conventional often refers to what's broadly recognized, accepted, or anticipated within a certain group or society. It describes methods or ideas that are considered standard or typical for a given time.
On the contrary, Traditional is anchored more in the past. It characterizes practices, beliefs, or customs that have been handed down through generations. Traditional isn't necessarily about the majority's choice, but rather about preserving practices from the past.
It's essential to understand that Conventional doesn't always align with Traditional. Something might become Conventional because of new insights, technology, or changing views, even if it breaks from Traditional norms. Conventional ways can be recent innovations, while Traditional methods might resist such changes.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Pertains to what's widely accepted or expected.
Relates to customs and beliefs passed down through generations.
Time Perspective
Current or contemporary norms.
Often looks back at historical or ancestral practices.
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Flexibility
Can change with societal views.
More rigid, preserving practices from the past.
Context
Often used in context of contemporary standards.
Usually refers to time-honored, historical methods.
Origin
Based on current consensus or standard practices.
Rooted in past customs and passed down through generations.
Compare with Definitions
Conventional
Adhering to accepted standards.
His Conventional attire made him blend in at the corporate event.
Traditional
Pertaining to time-honored customs.
They celebrated the festival in a Traditional manner.
Conventional
Usual or customary.
The company followed Conventional procedures for recruitment.
Traditional
Relating to beliefs established in the past.
Traditional values played a crucial role in his upbringing.
Conventional
Based on established practices.
Conventional farming often relies on chemical fertilizers.
Traditional
Maintaining cultural or ancestral practices.
Traditional dance forms tell stories of the past.
Conventional
Not using alternative methods or systems.
They chose a Conventional oven over a microwave.
Traditional
Established; long-standing.
The village has a Traditional method of rainwater harvesting.
Conventional
Based on or in accordance with general agreement, use, or practice; customary
Conventional symbols.
A conventional form of address.
Traditional
Of, relating to, or in accord with tradition
A traditional wedding ceremony.
Conventional
Conforming to established practice or accepted standards; traditional
A conventional church wedding.
Traditional
Of, relating to, or derived from tradition.
This dance is one of the traditional customs in the area.
I think her traditional values are antiquated.
Conventional
Devoted to or bound by conventions to the point of artificiality; ceremonious.
Traditional
Communicated from ancestors to descendants by word only.
Traditional expositions of the Scriptures
Conventional
Unimaginative; conformist
Longed to escape from their conventional, bourgeois lives.
Traditional
Observant of tradition; attached to old customs; old-fashioned.
Conventional
Represented, as in a work of art, in simplified or abstract form.
Traditional
In lieu of the name of the composer of a piece of music, whose real name is lost in the mists of time.
Conventional
(Law) Based on consent or agreement; contractual.
Traditional
Relating to traditional Chinese.
The traditional form of the character has twice as many strokes as the simplified form.
Conventional
Of, relating to, or resembling an assembly.
Traditional
A person with traditional beliefs.
Conventional
Using means other than nuclear energy
Conventional power plants.
Traditional
Of or pertaining to tradition; derived from tradition; communicated from ancestors to descendants by word only; transmitted from age to age without writing; as, traditional opinions; traditional customs; traditional expositions of the Scriptures.
Conventional
Using means other than nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons
Conventional warfare.
Traditional
Observant of tradition; attached to old customs; old-fashioned.
Conventional
Pertaining to a convention, as in following generally accepted principles, methods and behaviour.
Traditional
Consisting of or derived from tradition;
Traditional history
Traditional morality
Conventional
Ordinary, commonplace.
They wear conventional clothes, eat conventional food, and keep conventional hours.
Traditional
Pertaining to time-honored orthodox doctrines;
The simple security of traditional assumptions has vanished
Conventional
Banal, trite, hackneyed, unoriginal or clichéd.
Traditional
Passed down through generations.
Traditional recipes often have a special place in family gatherings.
Conventional
(weapons) Pertaining to a weapon which is not a weapon of mass destruction.
Conventional
(agriculture) Making use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Conventional
(bridge) In accordance with a bidding convention, as opposed to a natural bid.
Conventional
(finance) A conventional gilt-edged security, a kind of bond paying the holder a fixed cash payment (or coupon) every six months until maturity, at which point the holder receives the final payment and the return of the principal.
Conventional
Formed by agreement or compact; stipulated.
Conventional services reserved by tenures upon grants, made out of the crown or knights' service.
Conventional
Growing out of, or depending on, custom or tacit agreement; sanctioned by general concurrence or usage; formal.
The conventional language appropriated to monarchs.
The ordinary salutations, and other points of social behavior, are conventional.
Conventional
Based upon tradition, whether religious and historical or of artistic rules.
Conventional
Following accepted customs and proprieties;
Conventional wisdom
She had strayed from the path of conventional behavior
Conventional forms of address
Unconventional life styles
Conventional
Conforming with accepted standards;
A conventional view of the world
Conventional
(weapons) using non-nuclear energy for propulsion or destruction;
Conventional warfare
Conventional weapons
Conventional
Unimaginative and conformist;
Conventional bourgeois lives
Conventional attitudes
Conventional
Represented in simplified or symbolic form
Conventional
In accord with or being a tradition or practice accepted from the past;
A conventional church wedding with the bride in traditional white
The conventional handshake
Conventional
Rigidly formal or bound by convention;
Their ceremonious greetings did not seem heartfelt
Conventional
Pertaining to a convention or general agreement.
The treaty was signed at a Conventional assembly of nations.
Common Curiosities
Can something be both Conventional and Traditional?
Yes, practices can be both widely accepted (Conventional) and time-honored (Traditional).
Can Conventional methods become Traditional?
If a Conventional method endures and is passed down, it might become seen as Traditional.
Does Conventional mean it's the most popular method?
Conventional indicates widely accepted methods, which often are popular.
Is Traditional always better than Conventional?
Not necessarily. Both have merits, and it depends on context.
Can something become less Conventional over time?
Yes, as societal norms shift, previously Conventional methods can become outdated.
Does Traditional always mean old?
Traditional pertains to practices passed through generations, which often makes them old.
Can Conventional methods change over time?
Yes, as societal views change, what's deemed Conventional can also shift.
Is Traditional linked to culture?
Often, yes. Traditional practices often have cultural or ancestral roots.
Why might someone prefer Conventional methods?
Conventional methods might align better with current knowledge, technology, or societal norms.
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Devote vs. DedicateAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
