customary

adjective

cus·​tom·​ary ˈkə-stə-ˌmer-ē How to pronounce customary (audio)
-ˌme-rē
1
: commonly practiced, used, or observed
customary acts of courtesy
his customary enthusiasm
2
: based on or established by custom
customary laws
customariness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for customary

usual, customary, habitual, wonted, accustomed mean familiar through frequent or regular repetition.

usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

customary applies to what accords with the practices, conventions, or usages of an individual or community.

the customary waiting period before the application is approved

habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

accustomed is less emphatic than wonted or habitual in suggesting fixed habit or invariable custom.

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

Examples of customary in a Sentence

He forgot the customary “thank you.” It is customary to hold the door open for someone who is entering a building behind you. She dressed in her customary fashion. He did the work with his customary efficiency.
Recent Examples on the Web As is customary, the force did not name the officer, but he was identified by local media as Beau Lamarre. Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 The offering is expected to close on February 13, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 Victoria Monet sat surrounded by her family on the far left; party perennials Nancy Pelosi (with husband Paul), Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and Berry Gordy were in their customary front spots. Jem Aswad, Variety, 4 Feb. 2024 Several shops hung photos of the queen and king-to-be, while city buses were adorned with smaller Danish flags as is customary during royal events. Jan M. Olsen, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 Novaya Gazeta Europe, quoting a paramedic, reported that Navalny's body was initially taken to a district hospital in Salekhard instead of directly to the morgue as is customary in the case of prison deaths. Robyn Dixon, Emily Rauhala, arkansasonline.com, 20 Feb. 2024 Novaya Gazeta Europe, quoting an ambulance paramedic, reported that Navalny’s body was initially taken to a district hospital in Salekhard, instead of directly to the morgue as is customary in the case of prison deaths. Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024 The exhaustive list of first responders' failures only named the highest-ranking officials, something Garland said was customary for Department of Justice reports. Tony Plohetski, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 There’s a lot of road left for this team, even allowing for the customary panic after a frustrating league loss. Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'customary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see custom entry 1

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of customary was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near customary

Cite this Entry

“Customary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/customary. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

customary

adjective
cus·​tom·​ary ˈkəs-tə-ˌmer-ē How to pronounce customary (audio)
1
: based on or established by custom
customary rent
2
: commonly done, observed, or used
her customary kindness
customary courtesies
customarily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on customary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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