Synonym Chooser

How is the word customary distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of customary are accustomed, habitual, usual, and wonted. While all these words mean "familiar through frequent or regular repetition," 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

How does the word accustomed relate to other synonyms for customary?

Accustomed is less emphatic than wonted or habitual in suggesting fixed habit or invariable custom.

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

When is it sensible to use habitual instead of customary?

In some situations, the words habitual and customary are roughly equivalent. However, habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

When might usual be a better fit than customary?

While the synonyms usual and customary are close in meaning, usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

When is wonted a more appropriate choice than customary?

The meanings of wonted and customary largely overlap; however, wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

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 customary On Sunday, his first game with KC, Grichuk sported his customary No. 15 jersey while starting in right field against the Guardians. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2025 At one point, Hansen said, people aboard the two boats traded the customary waves. Ethan Wolin updated July 4, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025 The court did not explain its decision in favor of Trump, as is customary in emergency appeals. Mark Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025 In a sport where sunglasses haven’t been customary on the pro tour, RIA Eyewear entered the space five years ago with a tennis-specific lens and frame, steadily building a bridge between the world of tennis and sunglasses. Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for customary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for customary
Adjective
  • The band pivoted away from its usual production partners, and instead linked up with indie powerhouse Catherine Marks, who recently won a Grammy for her production on Boygenius’ 2023 album The Record.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The other Sisters and senior novices—including Sister Yoshi—would go out on their usual factory chaperone duties with their student groups after the dismissal of the chōrei assembly.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Everything packs down into the carrying bag, which has a separate pocket for the collapsible pole (a game changer for folks who have wrestled with traditional camping gear and stuff sacks).
    Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2025
  • The sooner leaders change their organizational metronome, through hybridization of business, the faster firms will shift from isolated traditional automation to compounding organizational advantage.
    John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Where are millennials buying the most homes? Raleigh, North Carolina leads the nation in millennial homebuying, with 4.5% of Raleigh-Cary residents aged 25-44 purchasing homes with conventional mortgages in 2024, the highest share among all metro areas studied.
    Diana Leyva, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The nonprofit’s study on cotton—spanning organic, conventional, recycled and regenerative —is slated for this year’s last quarter.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Reines was one of several rabbis who framed the current moment as a test of Jewish ethics, not only in terms of Israel’s actions, but in how Jews worldwide choose to bear witness.
    Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
  • One path—the one Israel is now on—will lead the country toward the erosion of its current peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, the deepening of internal polarization, and international isolation.
    Ami Ayalon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Customary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/customary. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on customary

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