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, the festival will feature a program of fiction and documentary films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January, curated for London by the Sundance Film Festival programming team in collaboration with Picturehouse. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

As was customary on the island, Cook’s body was burned. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

In the past, such piecemeal bequests were customary, but there’s no guarantee that relatives will still be on good terms or even in contact years down the line. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

This means that the defendant will not be eligible for parole after the customary 15 years, though possibly at a later date. —Erika Solomon, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024

The bow is another prominent architectural element, as is customary with most Rossinavi designs. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024

As is customary in emergency matters, the majority — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch — did not explain their reasons on Tuesday for allowing the law to take effect for now. —Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024

Post-incident investigations should be customary, akin to those conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board in the aviation industry. —Jonathan Slotkin and David Vawdrey, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024

Officials with the National Transportation and Safety Board — which oversees gas explosions in addition to its more customary aviation and rail accidents — released a preliminary report on Tuesday following the two incidents, one of which claimed the life of Clara Barbour. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 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