custom
Americannoun
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a habitual practice; the usual way of acting in given circumstances.
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habits or usages collectively; convention.
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a practice so long established that it has the force of law.
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such practices collectively.
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Sociology. a group pattern of habitual activity usually transmitted from one generation to another.
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toll; duty.
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customs,
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(used with a singular or plural verb) duties imposed by law on imported or, less commonly, exported goods.
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(used with a singular verb) the government department that collects these duties.
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(used with a singular verb) the section of an airport, station, etc., where baggage is checked for contraband and for goods subject to duty.
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regular patronage of a particular shop, restaurant, etc.
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the customers or patrons of a business firm, collectively.
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the aggregate of customers.
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(in medieval Europe) a customary tax, tribute, or service owed by peasants to their lord.
adjective
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made specially for individual customers.
custom shoes.
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dealing in things so made, or doing work to order.
a custom tailor.
noun
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a usual or habitual practice; typical mode of behaviour
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the long-established habits or traditions of a society collectively; convention
custom dictates good manners
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a practice which by long-established usage has come to have the force of law
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such practices collectively (esp in the phrase custom and practice )
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habitual patronage, esp of a shop or business
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the customers of a shop or business collectively
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(in feudal Europe) a tribute paid by a vassal to his lord
adjective
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made to the specifications of an individual customer (often in the combinations custom-built , custom-made )
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specializing in goods so made
Usage
What does custom mean? As a noun, custom means a longstanding practice of a person (such as a daily habit) or a group (such as a cultural practice).As an adjective, custom describes something made to unique specifications, especially something one of a kind. Its synonym is custom-made.The word customs with an s refers to fees paid on imported goods, or the government department that handles such things. It is also the name of the checkpoint in the airport where incoming luggage and goods are inspected for prohibited items.Example: When I travel abroad, it’s my custom to bring home a custom-made souvenir that highlights the artistic customs of the people who live in that place. The items are usually very unique, which often leads to a lot of questions when I go through customs at the airport!
Related Words
Custom, habit, practice mean an established way of doing things. Custom, applied to a community or to an individual, implies a more or less permanent continuance of a social usage: It is the custom to give gifts at Christmas time. Habit, applied particularly to an individual, implies such repetition of the same action as to develop a natural, spontaneous, or rooted tendency or inclination to perform it: to make a habit of reading the newspapers. Practice applies to a set of fixed habits or an ordered procedure in conducting activities: It is his practice to verify all statements.
Etymology
Origin of custom
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English custume, from Anglo-French; Old French costume, from Vulgar Latin co(n)s(uē)tūmin- (unrecorded), replacing Latin consuētūdin-, stem of consuētūdō “habit, practice, tradition,” from consuē(tus) “accustomed” (past participle of consuēscere “to accustom onself,” from con- con- + suēscere “to become accustomed,” akin to suus “one's own”) + -tūdō -tude; costume
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s 40-plus flavors and you can mix and match them and build your own custom creations.
She said communities had long memories and couples often engaged with local and national customs during their big day, from serving certain foods to throwing the bouquet.
From BBC
The American retailer can declare the value of the sofa as $200—the first sale—and pay customs only $100 in duties.
The company has an AI chatbot called Claude, but it also built a custom AI system for U.S. national security customers.
From Los Angeles Times
Intuit—which also offers its own AI capabilities—announced on Tuesday External link that it has partnered with Anthropic to bring custom AI agents to mid-market businesses on the Intuit platform.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
