customary

adjective

cus·​tom·​ary ˈkə-stə-ˌmer-ē 

-ˌme-rē

1

: commonly practiced, used, or observed

customary acts of courtesy

his customary enthusiasm

2

: based on or established by custom

customary laws

customariness

ˈkə-stə-ˌmer-ē-nəs 

-ˌme-rē-

noun

Synonyms

• conventional
• current
• going
• popular
• prevailing
• prevalent
• standard
• stock
• usual

Choose the Right Synonym for customary

usual, customary, habitual, wonted, accustomed mean familiar through frequent or regular repetition.

usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

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

habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

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

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

Examples of customary in a Sentence

He forgot the customary “thank you.”

It is customary to hold the door open for someone who is entering a building behind you.

She dressed in her customary fashion.

He did the work with his customary efficiency.

Recent Examples on the Web

The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to customary conditions. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

For example, there is bound to be a rush to seek assistance from counselors, therapists, mental health professionals, and all the customary avenues for garnering cognitive and psychological coping assistance. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

After Hurricane Michael hit Florida in 2018, Trump directed FEMA to pay 100% of most of the state’s disaster costs instead of the customary 75%, resulting in $350 million more in federal assistance than the state would have received without intervention, Politico reported. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024

Compared with earlier this month, Harris has regained a more customary Democratic advantage among Hispanic people and widened her advantage among suburban women, while remaining strong in core groups including Black people. —Gary Langer, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see custom entry 1

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

customary

adjective

cus·​tom·​ary ˈkəs-tə-ˌmer-ē 

1

: based on or established by custom

customary rent

2

: commonly done, observed, or used

her customary kindness

customary courtesies

customarily

ˌkəs-tə-ˈmer-ə-lē 

adverb