custom

noun

cus·tom | \ ˈkə-stəm

Definition of custom

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a usage or practice common to many or to a particular place or class or habitual with an individual It is the custom in New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. funeral customs

b : long-established practice considered as unwritten law

c : repeated practice Custom makes all things easy.

d : the whole body of usages, practices, or conventions that regulate social life … family, kinship, and custom constituted the grounds of community.— V. B. Leitch

2 customs plural

a : duties, tolls, or imposts imposed by the sovereign law of a country on imports or exports

b usually singular in construction : the agency, establishment, or procedure for collecting such customs went through customs at the airport without any difficulty

3a : business patronage (see patronage sense 4)

b : usually habitual patrons : customers

custom

adjective

Definition of custom (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : made or performed according to personal order

2 : specializing in custom work or operation a custom tailor

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about custom

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Choose the Right Synonym for custom

Noun

habit, practice, usage, custom, wont mean a way of acting fixed through repetition. habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively. had a habit of tapping his fingers practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice. our practice is to honor all major credit cards 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 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 wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group. as was her wont, she slept until noon

Examples of custom in a Sentence

Noun

It is the custom for the bride to wear a white dress on her wedding day. According to custom, the festivities begin at dusk. It's a matter of custom. We went through customs at the airport without any difficulty. It took us a long time to clear customs at the border.

Adjective

The new kitchen will have custom cabinets. that business tycoon wears only custom suits

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Building a custom house affords homeowners the opportunity to create the space of their dreams. — Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, "This luxury Highlands home was 3 years in the making. See why it was worth wait," 20 June 2019 The homey and charming Mercado location, awash with sunflower-yellow (Argelia’s favorite flower) walls and custom wood tables, is already filled with the Grandas’ friends and family members. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Eating my way through Mercado del Barrio: This is what America tastes like," 20 June 2019 Picking up interesting frames and pairing them with newer glass is a relatively cheap DIY project that the Vargos have used to create several custom mirrors in their home. — Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, "Expert rules and tricks for decorating with mirrors," 20 June 2019 The custom boats will depart from Long Wharf and the Seaport’s World Trade Center nearly every half-hour, from early morning to nearly midnight — also only $7 each way. — Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, "The Encore casino has placed a multimillion-dollar bet to get people out of cars," 20 June 2019 On the Irish side of the argument, the history of violence on the island of Ireland is the primary reason for avoiding any kind of customs border. — Luke Mcgee, CNN, "And then there were two: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt in battle to lead Britain," 20 June 2019 Today, customers can hand-select their favorite can and choose from 13 scents for a custom candle. — Birmingham Magazine, al.com, "These beer can candles are your new favorite gift idea," 19 June 2019 The custom work is augmented with framed Picasso plates and Dale Chihuly chandeliers, including one in the open kitchen line. — Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "MAD: A sensory ambush arrives at River Oaks District," 19 June 2019 As is MLB’s custom on Father’s Day, Sunday’s MLB action featured players in garish, hideous, why-did-they-do-this blue caps and accoutrements. — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "The Rockies-Padres Series at Coors Field Was Bonkers in the Best Way Possible," 18 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Allowing brides-to-be the opportunity to more accurately customize their gowns from size 0-24, without the price tag of a completely custom wedding dress. — Heather Hall, Harper's BAZAAR, "From Bridal Salons to Custom Gowns, Here's Where Size Inclusivity Stands in the Bridal Industry," 19 Apr. 2019 But the spokeswoman said Facebook doesn’t use custom events—the ones that can contain sensitive information—for those purposes. — Sam Schechner, WSJ, "You Give Apps Sensitive Personal Information. Then They Tell Facebook.," 22 Feb. 2019 It's all done on custom silicon designed within Apple—a different approach than that taken by any mainstream Android or Windows device. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Apple walks Ars through the iPad Pro’s A12X system on a chip," 7 Nov. 2018 The drawer fronts of the SEKTION kitchen range can be combined in nine different ways to create a completely custom style. — Jessica Dailey, Good Housekeeping, "Doors and Drawers," 11 Feb. 2019 Currently that cost is extraordinary, MIT writes, due to inexperience, extremely custom plant designs, regulatory issues, and financing issues. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Mapping what it would take for a renaissance for nuclear energy," 7 Sep. 2018 To facilitate their research, biologists regularly order short, custom pieces of DNA from companies that specialize in their manufacture. — R. Daniel Bressler, Vox, "“Designer bugs”: how the next pandemic might come from a lab," 6 Dec. 2018 In the backyard, Arne Jacobsen wicker chairs from Sika Design and a side table from JF Chen; custom fireplace screen, Studio Forge. — Jenni Konner, ELLE Decor, "Jewelry Designer Irene Neuwirth Takes Us Inside Her Eclectic Los Angeles Home," 13 July 2018 AUTO Show off your classic, antique or custom car at On the Edge Bar and Grill, 6815 W. Edgerton Ave. — Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "21 Things-to-do in the southwest suburbs in July," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'custom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near custom

Statistics for custom

Last Updated

25 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for custom

The first known use of custom was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for custom

custom

noun

English Language Learners Definition of custom

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an action or way of behaving that is usual and traditional among the people in a particular group or place

: something that is done regularly by a person

: taxes or fees that are paid to the government when goods come into or go out of a country

custom

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of custom (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly US

: made to fit the needs or requirements of a particular person

: doing work that fits the needs or requirements of a particular person

See the full definition for custom in the English Language Learners Dictionary

custom

noun

cus·tom | \ ˈkə-stəm

Kids Definition of custom

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the usual way of doing things : the usual practice

2 customs plural : duties or taxes paid on imports or exports

3 : support given to a business by its customers Buyers grew tired of waiting … and … took their custom elsewhere.— Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard

custom

adjective

Kids Definition of custom (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : made or done to personal order custom furniture

2 : specializing in work done to personal order a custom printer

custom

noun

cus·tom

Legal Definition of custom

1 : a practice common to many or to a particular place or institution especially : a long-established practice that is generally recognized as having the force of law — see also section 1983 — compare usage

2 plural

a : duties, tolls, or imposts imposed by the law of a country on imports or exports

b usually singular in construction : the agency, establishment, or procedure for collecting such customs