customary

English

Etymology

From Middle English custumary, from Medieval Latin custumarius. By surface analysis, custom +‎ -ary.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌs.tə.m(ə.)ɹi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌs.təˌmɛɹ.i/

  • Audio (US)

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Adjective

customary (comparative more customary, superlative most customary)

1. In accordance with, or established by, custom or common usage

   Synonyms: conventional, habitual

   • 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate , New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, , →OCLC:

     At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

   • 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 39:

     When two people met for the first time in Diaspar—or even for the hundredth—it was customary to spend an hour or so in an exchange or courtesies before getting down to business, if any.

   • 2019, Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers:

     "If you're accused of profiling or pretextual stops, you can bring your daily logbook to court and document that pulling over motorists for 'stickler' reasons is part of your customary pattern," Remsberg writes, "not a glaring exception conveniently dusted off in the defendant's case."

2. Holding or held by custom

   customary tenants

   • 1777, Joseph Nicolson, Richard Burn, The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland:

     The tenants are chiefly customary and heriotable.

Synonyms

• wont

Derived terms

Related terms

• consuetude
• costumal
• costume
• custom
• customer
• customization
• customize

Translations

Noun

customary (plural customaries)

1. (law) A book containing laws and usages, or customs; a custumal.

Derived terms

• court customary

Translations