1.
previous model; existing product; conventional product
A product that has been on sale or in use until now, implicitly being contrasted with a new, improved, or different version. Typical in product marketing, press releases, and technical comparisons where a manufacturer emphasizes what the new product does better than the previous lineup.
従来品より軽くなった。
It has become lighter than the previous model.
新製品は従来品と互換性がある。
The new product is compatible with the previous model.
今回の改良モデルは、従来品と比べて消費電力を約30パーセント削減することに成功した。
This improved model has succeeded in reducing power consumption by about 30 percent compared to the previous model.
Compound of 従来 ('up to now; conventional; existing') and 品 ('product; item'). Implies a comparison — the word is almost always used when contrasting a previous product with a new, different, or improved one.
USAGE:
- Standard vocabulary in advertising copy, product brochures, and technical documents.
- Often appears with 比べて ('compared to') or より ('than'): 従来品と比べて, 従来品より.
- Not inherently negative about the older product; simply positions it as the baseline.
- For 'conventional methods' or 'traditional approaches' more generally, use 従来の方法 / 従来のやり{方}, not 従来品.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 従来品と比べて: compared to the previous model
- 従来品より軽い: lighter than the previous model
- 従来品との違い: the difference from the previous model
- 従来品の後継モデル: successor to the previous model
- 従来品と互換性がある: to be compatible with the previous model
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 既存品: existing product — emphasizes that the item is already on the market; overlaps with 従来品 but focuses on current existence rather than implicit comparison.
- 旧型: old model — similar in meaning but sounds more colloquial and can feel more clearly 'outdated'.
- 新製品: new product — the counterpart that 従来品 is typically contrasted with.
- 最新型: latest model — emphasizes being the newest version.