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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
The custom installation at the Palais began last summer and even involved installers rappelling from the ceiling to rig the ceiling loudspeakers, according to Friedrich Deininger, Dolby’s senior director of cinema and partner management for EMEA and India. Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 13 May 2025 Available beginning May 12 for a limited time at participating Krispy Kreme shops, the Krispy Kreme x Pac-Man Collection features three new doughnuts in a custom Pac-Man game dozen box. Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Adjective
Marchesa has dressed a who’s who of Hollywood A-listers, including Scarlett Johansson, Viola Davis, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya, who made her 2016 Golden Globes debut wearing a custom Marchesa gown. Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 30 Dec. 2024 The company specializes in custom new construction, incorporating interior design from the start of the project to allow the architecture and interiors to feel completely in sync. Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for custom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custom
Noun
  • In each iteration, the body of the deceased was pulled by livestock or carried by boat while mourners performed rituals to honor their lives and, in some cultures, to encourage safe passage for the spirit into the afterlife.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
  • Generations pass, cultures overlap, and trends evolve, but the sanctity of beauty rituals for and by ourselves remain.
    Cierra Black, Essence, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • So, how did this tradition come about, what are the meanings behind different papal names, what name could the next pope choose and how will it be announced?
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
  • Employing nostalgic tropes as embodied by Orbison’s songs subverts those movies from their own cinematic tradition, thus marking a departure from standard film noir.
    Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • Students involved in crafting the ordinance acknowledged that the cost of buying non-plastic goods will be higher for local businesses.
    Shawn P. Sullivan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
  • With inflation rising faster than wages, consumer and business confidence are waning.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Encourage critical thinking, discussions about activism or policy, and personal responsibility, such as changing their consumption habits or volunteering.
    Taylor Grothe, Parents, 14 May 2025
  • Develop active listening habits Practice focusing entirely on what others are saying rather than formulating your response.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Israeli military rule would last nearly four decades, during which Hamas emerged as a splinter of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in the 1980s, until a 2005 disengagement.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Naturally, this rule tends not to apply to celebrities.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • To get access to markets, businesses first had to obtain permission from politicians and bureaucrats, which in practice fueled a huge industry in patronage and corruption.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Moviemaking has long reminded me of the Renaissance patronage system.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Wear them with a tailored blouse and kitten heels for weekdays in the office, or keep things laidback with a classic tee and white sneakers.
    Emily Weaver, People.com, 3 May 2025
  • The evening’s dress code is Tailored for You, which will hopefully inspire celebrities to push the boundaries of tailored menswear and embrace the opportunity to highlight Black designers.
    Whitney Perry, Glamour, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • The Chinese government has banned the practice of Falun Gong, accusing the movement of being a cult.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 13 May 2025
  • Think About Acupuncture Acupuncture is an ancient practice that may improve chronic pain and aid weight loss.
    Peter Weiss, Verywell Health, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Custom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custom. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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