countertradition

Etymology

From counter- + tradition.

countertradition means A tradition that goes against another tradition. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “countertradition” is a great word

COUNTERTRADITION — [Noun] A tradition deliberately established in opposition to or as a critique of a prevailing or dominant tradition. From the English prefix counter- (meaning "against, opposite") + tradition (from Middle English tradicioun, from Old French tradicion, from Latin traditio, traditiōn- ("a handing over, delivery, tradition"), from trādere ("to hand over")). Unlike "antitradition" (a principled rejection of tradition itself) or "nontradition" (a mere absence of convention), a countertradition is a constructed rival order, a conscious handing-down of dissent. It is the curated syllabus that challenges the canon, the annual vigil held to protest a national celebration, or the radical manifesto written in strict sonnet form—a ritualized architecture of dissent that, through its own persistence, makes the prevailing order visible and therefore contestable. It is the paradox of building a home only to better see the prison you oppose.

noun

A tradition that goes against another tradition.“One answer lies in a less well-known but equally important countertradition, the dyslogistic school of memoir written by former officials who present themselves as disillusioned innocents.”