custom 1 of 2

noun

ˈkə-stəm How to pronounce custom (audio)
Definition of customnext
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

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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
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

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

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 Ritz-Carlton Spa menu here draws from local customs, and there are treatments on offer utilizing sake lees from a 150-year-old Tochigi brewery and volcanic stones that may have tumbled from Mount Nantai itself. —Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025 For marketing leaders, this might mean allocating budget not just for the tools themselves but also for training, change management, and developing custom solutions tailored to marketing workflows. —Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Like the company’s other trips, these itineraries have been thoughtfully curated and include custom, bespoke experiences crafted on each of the traveler’s interests and pace. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2025 Broadcom shares surged Wednesday on a media report that said Apple is considering partnering with Broadcom for a custom AI chip. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for custom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custom
  1. ritual
  2. tradition
  3. business
  4. habit
  5. rule
  6. patronage
  7. tailored
  8. practice
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
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • Trader Joe’s has a longstanding tradition of offering reusable canvas shopping bags, which began in 1977.
    — Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • But for Shawn Amos, son of legendary entrepreneur Wally Amos—the founder of Famous Amos cookies—baking wasn’t just a family tradition.
    — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of tradition
Noun
  • Tourism destinations hit by natural disasters need visitors in order for local people and businesses to survive.
    — Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Brandon Silverstein Climbs to Music Industry Summit For Silverstein, the appointment caps a meteoric rise in the music business.
    — Ethan Stone, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of business
Noun
  • Adopt or maintain healthy habits: Stress and illness can trigger allergic asthma.
    — Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2025
  • But experts say having ongoing conversations about a teen's experience on social media and teaching them to build healthy digital habits is critical.
    — Anna Halkidis, Parents, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of habit
Noun
  • Dunne’s Back-Pay Argument Dunne committed to LSU in 2017, four years before the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Interim rules went into effect.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Some of the low traffic zone rules are already in effect and will continue to roll out over the next five years.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of rule
Noun
  • Dozens of restaurants and bars are offering discounts and happy hour deals to encourage further patronage, including $10 cocktails and bites at Formosa Cafe and $8 cocktails at Connie & Ted’s.
    — Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
  • He was later stripped of his military titles and his royal patronages.
    — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of patronage
Adjective
  • Rather than simply verifying identity and granting access, an autonomous system can detect threats in real-time, analyze behaviors, and execute a tailored response—without waiting for human intervention.
    — Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Even accessories leaned into this softened strength, with pillbox hats reimagined in sculptural, wrapped, or tailored forms that brought a polished finish to the season’s floaty silhouettes.
    — Jailynn Taylor, Essence, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of tailored
Noun
  • The first 20 years of my career were at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH), and my devotion was to the practice of medicine, caring for the critically ill and provide lifesaving opportunity to those in need of cardiac transplantation.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The practice was used in 2018 during the first Trump term, when the Senate voted on the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as an associate justice.
    — Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of practice

Browse Nearby Words

custody
custom
customarily
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Custom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custom. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on custom

Nglish: Translation of custom for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about custom

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