Synonyms of custom

custom 1 of 2

noun

ˈkə-stəm 

1

as in ritual

a usual manner of behaving or doing

it is my custom to have half a bagel and coffee for breakfast

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ritual
• habit
• practice
• trick
• way
• pattern
• practise
• tendency
• second nature
• fashion
• routine
• style
• wont
• inclination
• addiction
• mode
• use
• habitude
• usage
• set
• turn
• disposition
• convention
• characteristic
• manners
• bent
• groove
• bag
• proclivity
• trait
• tenor
• attribute
• regimen
• regime
• form
• peculiarity
• drill
• deportment
• mores
• quirk
• affectation
• rut
• rote
• pose
• régime
• singularity
• tic
• airs
• eccentricity
• kink
• oddity
• jog trot
• mark

2

as in tradition

an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing

the custom around here is that the bride's family pays for the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tradition
• rule
• values
• principles
• convention
• prescription
• heritage
• standards
• ethic
• mode
• rubric
• norm
• legacy
• inheritance
• form
• superstition
• culture
• lifestyle
• mores
• folklore
• lore
• birthright

3

as in business

transactions or economic support provided by customers

that restaurant certainly lost my custom after they were cited for health code violations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• business
• patronage
• marketplace
• traffic
• trade
• merchandising
• free trade
• affairs
• dealings
• retailing
• wholesaling
• horse-trading

custom

2 of 2

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

• customized
• tailored
• made-to-order
• bespoke
• custom-made
• bespoken
• specialized
• custom-tailored
• tailor-made
• special
• handmade
• handcrafted
• custom-built
• particular
• made-to-measure

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ready-made
• mass-produced

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

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