Synonym Chooser

How is the word habitual distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of habitual are accustomed, customary, usual, and wonted. While all these words mean "familiar through frequent or regular repetition," habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

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

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

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

When can customary be used instead of habitual?

The meanings of customary and habitual largely overlap; however, 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

When would usual be a good substitute for habitual?

In some situations, the words usual and habitual are roughly equivalent. However, usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

In what contexts can wonted take the place of habitual?

Although the words wonted and habitual have much in common, 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 habitual The children’s parents — identified as a 53-year-old German man and his 48-year-old American wife, who also owned a German passport — were arrested and charged with domestic violence with habitual psychological abuse and child abandonment, according to police, per ABC. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 1 May 2025 And as a habitual transgressor of rules and norms, Trump seems unlikely to stick to any parameters that might mitigate the conflicts among great powers that would inevitably crop up. Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 But what if the solution to your habitual stress is actually more stress? Calin Van Paris, Outside Online, 15 Apr. 2025 In this perp’s youth, a seemingly nascent case of schizophrenia was exacerbated by habitual LSD use and the yellow nattering Thronglets, which convinced him that their chirping contains a cryptic, apocalyptic message. Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for habitual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for habitual
Adjective
  • Experiences of patients with chronic illness, disability or language barriers can often go unheard.
    Jim Longo, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • But living with chronic illness means making accommodations and adjusting every decision to reduce the risk of a flare-up.
    Melanie Curry, People.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the latest flashback episode of The Last of Us, fellow frequent corpse Pedro Pascal shoots Pantoliano.
    Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 19 May 2025
  • Downsides and upsides There are definite downsides, say frequent users.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Solution: Establish a regular update schedule for training data or provide the model with access to real-time information sources.
    Mohammad Adnan, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • However, the network has confirmed that 9-1-1 season 9 will air in its regular slot of Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Most hardware wallets, for example, require periodic internet connectivity for transaction signing, as every blockchain transaction requires input from the blockchain.
    Lior Lamesh, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Guest chefs have pop-ups quarterly, and periodic special dining experiences are also on the menu.
    Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the plan has, so far, failed due to repeated challenges in Italian courts.
    Llazar Semini, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
  • Chitralekha Zutshi, a professor of history at William & Mary, notes that the desire for autonomy by groups in the region has resulted in numerous independence movements and repeated uprisings.
    Matt Williams, The Conversation, 7 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Habitual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habitual. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on habitual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!