customary

American  

[kuhs-tuh-mer-ee] / ˈkʌs təˌmɛr i /

adjective

1. according to or depending on custom; usual; habitual.

   Synonyms:

   regular, common, conventional, accustomed, wonted

   Antonyms:

   uncommon

2. of or established by custom rather than law.

3. Law. defined by long-continued practices.

   the customary service due from land in a manor.

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noun

plural

customaries

1. a book or document containing the legal customs or customary laws of a locality.

2. any body of such customs or laws.

customary British  

/ ˈkʌstəmərɪ, -təmrɪ /

adjective

1. in accordance with custom or habitual practice; usual; habitual

2. law

   1. founded upon long continued practices and usage rather than law

   2. (of land, esp a feudal estate) held by custom

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noun

1. 1. a statement in writing of customary laws and practices

   2. a body of such laws and customs

Related Words

See usual.

Other Word Forms

• customarily adverb
• customariness noun
• noncustomarily adverb
• noncustomary adjective
• uncustomarily adverb
• uncustomary adjective

Etymology

Origin of customary

First recorded in 1375–1425; 1515–25 for current senses; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin custumārius, customārius, equivalent to costum(i)a, “custom” (also in Vulgar Latin; custom ) + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

A greedy pawnbroker gets involved, and the pieces are in place for a fable — a surreal one, without the customary lesson at the end.

From Los Angeles Times

As part of the agreement, Lynrock Lake will support the board’s full slate of directors at the company’s 2026 annual meeting, and also agreed to certain customary standstill provisions limiting further activist activity.

From Barron's

QXO expects the deal to close early in the second quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Few other details have been released about Herzog's schedule, as is customary because of security concerns.

From Barron's

By the 1840s, anti-Catholic nativists insisted that the foreign-born should likewise be excluded, or at least compelled to wait longer than the customary five years of residency before earning voting rights.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accepted
• traditional