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🌱 Cultural wisdom ⚖️ Protected rights
traditional knowledge

traditional knowledge

6.3
Information and practices of local communities that laws protect and require consent and fair sharing when used by others
  • noun
  • Formal
translation icon : conocimiento tradicional
  • The law also stipulates that prior informed consent must be given in writing before access to, use of, or application of traditional knowledge is granted.
  • genetic resources and traditional knowledge
  • resources and traditional knowledge

Examples

  • The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and traditional knowledge is one of the three objectives of the CBD (CBD 2006).

    Academic text (2009)

  • Companies believe that access to traditional knowledge will dramatically cut their research and development costs, so they feverishly pursue that access.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Along with community leaders, traditional knowledge holders, and other community historians, my work has been focused on that goal.

    Academic text (2009)

  • However, traditional knowledge parallels scientific knowledge.

    Academic text (2004)

  • They also assert indigenous peoples' right to refuse access to traditional knowledge and to apply for protection under IPR law.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The people of Namgis and Ahousaht made it clear that attempts at "incorporating" their traditional knowledge into these alien systems of management did not fully recognize the central place of salmon in their societies.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The law requires that any use of traditional knowledge must include prior informed consent from the Indigenous community.

  • Indigenous leaders emphasized that traditional knowledge is essential for sustainable environmental management.

  • Many researchers seek to collaborate with Indigenous groups to respect and utilize traditional knowledge in their studies.

Synonyms

tradition
vstraditional knowledge
∞ 2.0

A custom or belief passed down in families and groups over time

is that cultural practice or belief when it is legally recognized and protected
lore
vstraditional knowledge
52 6.1

Knowledge and stories that people pass down over generations

is the same knowledge but legally protected requiring prior consent and fair benefit sharing
folklore
vstraditional knowledge
43 4.9

Traditional stories, customs, and beliefs people pass down through generations

is that community knowledge when formally recognized and legally protected

How Protected

traditional knowledge
  • Formal
6.3
nonrecognition
  • Formal
8.1

Surface Forms

traditional knowledge singular
traditional knowledges plural

Morphology

traditional + knowledge

The phrase combines 'traditional' (pertaining to customs or beliefs passed down) with 'knowledge' (information or understanding), so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it means knowledge rooted in tradition or passed down in a community. While the term has specialized legal and policy implications (e.g., rights, consent, benefit‑sharing), those are pragmatic extensions that do not obscure the basic compositional meaning.

Etymology

Traditional knowledge in law comes from the idea that the community's old ways and what they know belong to the group. Imagine elders showing a visitor a plant remedy; because the know-how belongs to the community, outsiders must get 'permission' and agree to 'share benefits' if they use it, so the term often means the know-how has legal protection and rules.