custom

American  

[kuhs-tuhm] / ˈkʌs təm /

noun

• customs
  plural

1. 

   a habitual practice; the usual way of acting in given circumstances.

2. habits or usages collectively; convention.

3. a practice so long established that it has the force of law.

4. such practices collectively.

5. Sociology. a group pattern of habitual activity usually transmitted from one generation to another.

6. toll; duty.

7. customs,

   1. (used with a singular or plural verb) duties imposed by law on imported or, less commonly, exported goods.

   2. (used with a singular verb) the government department that collects these duties.

   3. (used with a singular verb) the section of an airport, station, etc., where baggage is checked for contraband and for goods subject to duty.

8. regular patronage of a particular shop, restaurant, etc.

9. the customers or patrons of a business firm, collectively.

10. the aggregate of customers.

11. (in medieval Europe) a customary tax, tribute, or service owed by peasants to their lord.

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adjective

1. made specially for individual customers.

   custom shoes.

2. dealing in things so made, or doing work to order.

   a custom tailor.

custom British  

/ ˈkʌstəm /

noun

1. a usual or habitual practice; typical mode of behaviour

2. the long-established habits or traditions of a society collectively; convention

   custom dictates good manners

3. 1. a practice which by long-established usage has come to have the force of law

   2. such practices collectively (esp in the phrase custom and practice )

4. habitual patronage, esp of a shop or business

5. the customers of a shop or business collectively

6. (in feudal Europe) a tribute paid by a vassal to his lord

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adjective

1. made to the specifications of an individual customer (often in the combinations custom-built , custom-made )

2. 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!

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• customs
  plural

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; cf. costume

Explanation

If something has been done a certain way for a long time and has become generally accepted, it's a custom. Asking strangers for candy on one night a year would seem strange if it weren't an established custom. If you have been imprisoned in a far off country when you were just trying to blend in, you might have misunderstood the local customs. Custom can be traced back to the Latin verb consuescere, meaning "to accustom," in other words "to get used to." Custom can also describe something that you order made just the way you want it. Your five-seated bicycle is very original; was it custom-made?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

custom customs

The Chicopee, Mass., company specializes in custom orders but had never made a game tray—or a holder meant to last.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

It was also a custom project with special requirements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The home is also within easy reach of Houston, The Woodlands Mall, and nearby golf courses—offering the couple a luxurious place to call home while they waited for their long-anticipated custom residence to be completed.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

But seeking a distinct, permanent identity for their fandom, dubbed "VIPs", band leader G-Dragon proposed a handheld yellow crown, setting the template for custom concert merchandise.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Jasper ran on ahead as though it was his custom.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

However, the royal succession committee ignored her wishes, insisting their selection process was conducted in accordance with Tooro customs and traditions.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The decrease "reflects a decline in sales volume as we raised prices and lowered online advertising spending" in anticipation of the removal of the customs duty exemption, the company said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

The burial patterns showed that boys and girls often followed the same cemetery customs as adult men and women.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

The boxes are packed with GPS tracking devices, electric motors and aircraft engine parts, according to Iranian customs records provided by trade database ImportGenius.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

And then I was standing in a line at a customs shed and the sign on the little station building said NIEUWERSCHANS.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• method
• policy
• practice
• rite
• rule
• style
• system