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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 vacuum and mop hybrid syncs up to a smartphone app that custom maps spaces for a thorough clean. Ali Faccenda, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025 Instagram has announced a new feature called Blend, which creates a custom, invite-only Reels feed for you and your friends. Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
As private space exploration expands, the demand for custom, high-durability tool control solutions is growing, positioning TraceMySpace as an essential partner in the industry. Jason Phillips, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025 But Salesforce is continuing to press on with its custom AI agent development. Megan Poinski, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for custom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custom
Noun
  • From home births to birth centers, spiritual rituals to structural advocacy, their choices aren’t just personal, but collective.
    Stephanie Long, Essence, 17 Apr. 2025
  • According to a new WalletHub survey, many consumers are planning to skip some of the holiday's traditional rituals like dyeing eggs because of high prices.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In ancient traditions, it was seen not as something to fix, but something to feel.
    Devi Brown, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
  • For Yi Ming, an inheritor of artistic traditions from different continents, that connection is the promise of contemporary art.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Insurance carriers are meant to support businesses that operate under constant pressure and complexity.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • In Buy Back Your Time, entrepreneur Dan Martell teaches how to scale your business by outsourcing and delegating strategically.
    Kristen Bousquet, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This highlights the immense impact of AI on people’s spending habits.
    Roman Eloshvili, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Digestive issues: If protein intake is high and fiber intake is low, changes in bowel habits, like constipation or diarrhea, may occur.
    Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD, Verywell Health, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The only issue with the price Chelsea Women was sold for was that they were bought by their parent company in a move that helped the men’s team comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in 2023-24.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • This discovery provides insight into the burial practices and artistic expressions during the Mongol rule in China.
    Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Its prime beneficiaries, of course, have been members of his entourage and their patronage networks.
    ALEXANDER GABUEV, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The program is co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and organized under the patronage of Eurimages, with Wake Up Films (Serbia) serving as the organizing entity.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The store, which has 13-foot ceilings, will sell the complete John Varvatos collection, ranging from tailored clothing, leather jackets and footwear to accessories, along with artwork curated by Morrison Hotel Gallery, a leader in fine art music photography.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Living room artwork by Robert Mapplethorpe and one-of-a-kind de Gournay wallpaper further enhance the abode’s tailored aura.
    David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While some partake in more traditional practices like prayer or mass on Easter Sunday, others enjoy a more secular interpretation with baskets, egg decorating, egg hunting, and of course, the Easter Bunny.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The practice allowed the meditators to view their devotion as closely tied to Magdalene.
    Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Custom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custom. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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