従来
Meaning in Englishup to now, so far, traditional
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
従来 means up to now or as things have been established, used to refer to the existing state before a change or new development. It signals the baseline or status quo prior to adoption of new methods or ideas.
Main meanings
- conventional or traditional quality when describing methods, standards, or norms, especially in formal discourse
- adverbial usage that frames statements as referring to the past state or the status quo
- used to contrast with novel approaches, innovations, or future plans
How to use it
Used in formal or technical writing to describe the existing state, prior practices, or established norms; can introduce a contrast with new methods, policies, or innovations; typically appears with の to modify a noun (従来の). 従来の方法で検証を行う。今後は新しい手法を導入する予定だ。
Variants and close terms
- これまで (kore made) - until now
- 以前 (izen) - previously
- 最新 (saishin) - latest (antonym)
Composition
- 従: to follow, obey; 来: come; together they express a progression toward what has arrived up to the present, giving the sense of the current state
Etymology
従 = to follow; 来 = to come; the compound is read jūrai using on'yomi; Sino-Japanese formation; phonetic evolution reflects combining two kanji to express a concept tied to progression toward the present.
Word class
noun, adverb (じゅうらい)