What does "custom" mean?
Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.
Custom
/ˈkʌstəm/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.
- Grammar: custom is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: habit, practice, tradition, usage.
- Useful contrasts: official code, predefined, preset setup.
- Usage evidence: We are bored with the joke of professorial custom.
How to use "custom"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "custom" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "custom" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "custom" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "custom" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "custom" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "habit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "custom", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving. countable, uncountable
"Much forbidden by elder custom is accepted today."
- 2 accepted or habitual practice wordnet
- 3 Habitual buying of goods from one same vendor. countable, uncountable
"Thank you for your custom."
- 4 habitual patronage wordnet
- 5 Habitual buying of goods from one same vendor.; The habitual patrons (i.e. customers) of a business; business support. collective, countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a specific practice of long standing wordnet
- 7 Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent. Compare prescription. countable, uncountable
"The distinction between custom and usage it that usage is a fact and custom is a law. There can be usage without custom, but not custom without usage."
- 8 money collected under a tariff wordnet
- 9 Traditional beliefs or rituals. countable, uncountable
"The Ancient Egyptian culture had many distinctive and interesting beliefs and customs; one custom was the mummification of the dead."
- 10 A custom (made-to-order) piece of art, etc. countable, uncountable
"The rest of the necklace holders finally came in! If you bought a custom from me thank you so much for your patience! I’m gonna try my best to crank them out as fast as possible"
- 11 Familiar acquaintance; familiarity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Age can not wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety."
- 12 Toll, tax, or tribute. archaic, uncountable
"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
Verb
- 1 To make familiar; to accustom. obsolete, transitive
"a. 1771 (written, published posthumously) Thomas Gray, Agrippina Have not forgot your sire; the eye of Rome And the Prætorian camp have long revered, With customed awe the daughter, sister, wife, And mother of their Cæsars"
- 2 To supply with customers. obsolete, transitive
"But yet a man might reply, that if a Shooemaker ſhould haue no Shooes in his Shoppe, but onely worke, as hee is beſpoken, hee ſhould bee weakley cuſtomed."
- 3 To pay the customs of. obsolete, transitive
"Barabas, thy ships are safe, Riding in Malta Rhode; and all the merchants With other merchandize are safe arriv'd, And have sent me to know whether yourself Will come and custom them."
- 4 To have a custom. intransitive, obsolete
"For on a Bridge he cuſtometh to fight, / Which is but narrow, but exceeding long; / And in the ſame are many trap fals pight, / Through which the rider downe doth fall through ouerſight."
Adjective
- 1 Made or done in a way adjusted to fit the needs of a particular person or group (e.g., customer, health care patient, do-it-yourselfer), and thus specialized and, in some cases, unique. not-comparable
"Near-synonyms: custom-made, tailored, tailor-made, custom-built, purpose-built; see also Thesaurus:custom-made"
- 2 Own, personal, not standard or premade. not-comparable
"We can embroider a wide range of ready designs or a custom logo."
- 3 Done on a for-hire basis, as contrasted with being done only for oneself. especially, not-comparable
"custom threshing"
- 4 Accustomed; usual. archaic, not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 made according to the specifications of an individual wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"We are bored with the joke of professorial custom."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "custom"?
Common synonyms include: habit, practice, tradition, usage, accepted rule, act.
How do you use "custom" in a sentence?
We are bored with the joke of professorial custom.
How do you pronounce "custom"?
Pronounced /ˈkʌstəm/.
Etymology
PIE word *ḱóm PIE word *swé From Middle English custume, borrowed from Anglo-Norman custume, inherited from Latin consuētūdinem, a noun derived from cōnsuēscō, from con- (“with”) + suēscō (“become used or accustomed to”). Doublet of costume, consuetude, and kastom. The adjectival form first appears c. 1830.