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custom

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adjective

as in customized
made or fitted to the needs or preferences of a specific customer that business tycoon wears only custom suits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun custom differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of custom are habit, practice, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

When can habit be used instead of custom?

Although the words habit and custom have much in common, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When is practice a more appropriate choice than custom?

In some situations, the words practice and custom are roughly equivalent. However, practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

Where would usage be a reasonable alternative to custom?

The synonyms usage and custom are sometimes interchangeable, but usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

In what contexts can wont take the place of custom?

The words wont and custom are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of custom
Noun
This 85-acre upscale farm getaway has estate homes, cottages, and suites, each decorated with a unique blend of custom artwork and antiques. Kate Van Dyke, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2025 His clients have installed heated flooring, and custom pet gates for stairs and doorways that are a part of the millwork. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
Adjective
Both were ordered in custom, extra-wide sizes, roughly seven feet square. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025 Emma Chamberlain kicked things off in custom Courreges, for example, and Zendaya wore a crisp white suit with a matching floppy hat by Louis Vuitton designed by Pharrell. Rosana Lai, Glamour, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for custom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custom
Noun
  • Jumping off the bridge into the water is a summer ritual for thrill seekers of all ages, despite the warning signs that are posted nearby.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
  • The church’s ritual of confirmation, which marks the passage from adolescence into adulthood, also acquired legal status.
    Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The White House did not issue a Pride Month proclamation this year — or during Trump’s first administration, reversing a tradition that started in 1999.
    Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 22 June 2025
  • This suggests either confidence in the modern pace-and-space era breaking tradition, or a reflection of betting behavior more than predictive accuracy.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • As part of its long-term vision for responsible development, the county welcomes residents, business owners and civic stakeholders to attend and help shape growth management strategies.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
  • Weekly analysis and insights from Asia’s largest economy in your inbox Subscribe now On Wednesday, Li urged global business leaders and senior government representatives to collaborate and avoid turning trade into a political or security issue.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Inspired by Napoleon’s habit of using toy soldiers to plot his military battles, the designer dotted the entrance with giant cutouts with gold outlines, and shrouded the floor in smoke.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
  • No title yet revealed, but the pod will launch mid-July, the duo engage in heartfelt and unfiltered conversations about everyday life such as discuss raising a family, cultivating gardens, home improvements, careers, fostering healthy habits and aging.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • The charitable event, which launched in 2006 as an offshoot of the 24 Hour Plays project, has strict rules.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • Having a place for all your belongings is a non-negotiable organizing rule if your goal is to have a totally tidy home.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • For years, Daley’s powerful Democratic Party machine ruled Chicago through patronage.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
  • Both undertake many solo engagements for their respective patronages and causes, or partner with their spouses for public work.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • For brands, that means building an agent layer of your own — a system that can plug into these conversations, respond with tailored info, and complete the customer journey without sending the user back to your website.
    Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Each project receives up to €150,000 in direct funding, as well as tailored training, consulting and market access through the Ibero-American Animation League.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves.
    Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
  • Topics to be covered include commodity conservation practices, adding a rotation (winter wheat), diversifying and building market channels for diversified crops.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Custom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custom. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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