customary

adjective

cus·​tom·​ary ˈkə-stə-ˌmer-ē 

-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

ˈkə-stə-ˌmer-ē-nəs 

-ˌme-rē-

noun

Synonyms

• conventional
• current
• going
• popular
• prevailing
• prevalent
• standard
• stock
• usual

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, there were lively celebrations across the country after winners were announced, with some popping bottles of Prosecco surrounded by friends and family. —Hannah Peart, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2024

This form of delivery is particularly popular in CIS countries, where leaving packages at the door is not customary. —Nikolay Seleznev, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Virgin Music Group and Downtown Music will continue operating independently through a customary regulatory approval period, with the combination of the companies to occur following the deal closure. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024

The other side: The fact that markets have so fully priced in a December rate cut — precisely because Fed officials didn't do anything before their customary media blackout to push against it — means a surprise could prove disruptive. —Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see custom entry 1

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

customary

adjective

cus·​tom·​ary ˈkəs-tə-ˌmer-ē 

1

: based on or established by custom

customary rent

2

: commonly done, observed, or used

her customary kindness

customary courtesies

customarily

ˌkəs-tə-ˈmer-ə-lē 

adverb