chiefly British, informal
: traditional
… had partaken of the trad British breakfast …—
Pamela Vandyke Price
Pamela Vandyke PriceShowcasing such trad virtues as live musicianship, brick-solid song structures and stylistic breadth, this is one sweet set.—Paul Evans
Paul Evans… ski and surf outfits, not just in the dumb old trad black, either.—Bernice Peck
Bernice PeckExamples of trad in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Burke’s heroine, Natalie, is a trad wife with a large internet following, fundamentalist Christian convictions, a brood of cherubic children, a working farm, and a penchant for handcrafting items that could be purchased at the drugstore.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Most trad wives exist in families with a reasonable amount of money.
—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
6 May 2026
The ’90s saw the advent of third-wave feminism and riot grrrl; to be a trad wife was the least cool thing in the world.
—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
The more ornate tracks’ departure feels nearly as monumental—and often as successful—as Deafheaven’s shift to clean singing on Infinite Granite; the trad shoegaze feels like a retrenchment.
—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
Broadly, Love Is Blind seems to be pushing conservative ideals—trad wives, divorce shaming, and big families even when contestants clearly aren’t enthusiastic about the idea of having kids.
—
Manisha Krishnan,
Wired News,
27 Feb. 2026
First was a simple, trad-style aesthetic.
—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
16 Dec. 2025
Recent examples of street style reveal a shift toward denim with extreme silhouettes, DIY details and brash washes—perhaps a sartorial cry for help or a declaration of non-conformity in the wake of more demure trends like quiet luxury and trad wife.
—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
6 May 2025
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.
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Most trad wives exist in families with a reasonable amount of money.
—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
6 May 2026
The ’90s saw the advent of third-wave feminism and riot grrrl; to be a trad wife was the least cool thing in the world.
—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
The more ornate tracks’ departure feels nearly as monumental—and often as successful—as Deafheaven’s shift to clean singing on Infinite Granite; the trad shoegaze feels like a retrenchment.
—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
Broadly, Love Is Blind seems to be pushing conservative ideals—trad wives, divorce shaming, and big families even when contestants clearly aren’t enthusiastic about the idea of having kids.
—
Manisha Krishnan,
Wired News,
27 Feb. 2026
First was a simple, trad-style aesthetic.
—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
16 Dec. 2025
Recent examples of street style reveal a shift toward denim with extreme silhouettes, DIY details and brash washes—perhaps a sartorial cry for help or a declaration of non-conformity in the wake of more demure trends like quiet luxury and trad wife.
—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trad. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
