habit

¹ American  

[hab-it] / ˈhæb ɪt /

noun

• habits
  plural

1. an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

   the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.

2. customary practice or use.

   Daily bathing is an American habit.

   Synonyms:

   wont, bent

3. a particular practice, custom, or usage.

   the habit of shaking hands.

4. a dominant or regular disposition or tendency; prevailing character or quality.

   She has a habit of looking at the bright side of things.

5. Often the habit addiction, especially to narcotics.

6. mental character or disposition.

   a habit of mind.

7. characteristic bodily or physical condition.

8. the characteristic form, aspect, mode of growth, etc., of an organism.

   a twining habit.

9. the characteristic crystalline form of a mineral.

10. garb of a particular rank, profession, religious order, etc..

    a monk's habit.

    Synonyms:

    costume, dress

11. the attire worn by a rider of a saddle horse.

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verb (used with object)

1. to clothe; array.

   Synonyms:

   deck out, attire, garb, dress

idioms

1. old habits die hard. see old habits die hard.

habit ² American  

[hab-it] / ˈhæb ɪt /

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to dwell in.

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verb (used without object)

1. Obsolete. to dwell.

habit British  

/ ˈhæbɪt /

noun

1. a tendency or disposition to act in a particular way

2. established custom, usual practice, etc

3. psychol a learned behavioural response that has become associated with a particular situation, esp one frequently repeated

4. mental disposition or attitude

   a good working habit of mind

5. 1. a practice or substance to which a person is addicted

      drink has become a habit with him

   2. the state of being dependent on something, esp a drug

6. botany zoology the method of growth, type of existence, behaviour, or general appearance of a plant or animal

   a climbing habit

   a burrowing habit

7. the customary apparel of a particular occupation, rank, etc, now esp the costume of a nun or monk

8. Also called: riding habit. a woman's riding dress

9. crystallog short for crystal habit

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verb

1. to clothe

2. an archaic word for inhabit habituate

habit Scientific  

/ hăb′ĭt /

1. The characteristic shape of a crystal, such as the cubic habit that is characteristic of pyrite.

2. The characteristic manner of growth of a plant. For example, grape plants and ivy display a vining habit.

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habit More Idioms  

1. see kick a habit.

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Synonym Usage

See custom.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• habits
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of habit¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin habitus “state, style, practice,” equivalent to habi- (variant stem of habēre “to have”) + -tus verbal noun suffix; replacing Middle English abit, from Old French

Origin of habit²

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English habiten from Old French (h)abiter, from Latin habitāre “to wear habitually; inhabit; see habitat

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Explanation

Any action that you perform regularly as part of your routine can be called a habit. Flossing your teeth would be considered a good habit. Sucking your thumb would be considered a bad habit, especially as an adult. On New Year's people always vow to break their bad habits, but bad habits die hard. The noun habit can also refer to an established custom — like the habit of breaking bread with your family every holiday. On a completely different note, clothing that is worn for horseback riding, or by a nun or monk, can also be called a habit. All good nuns should be in the habit of washing their habits.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

habit habits

Barry has made a habit of celebrating every goal with some kind of viral dance move - and that was certainly the case on Friday night.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

With a high-tech and defense-tech power like Israel, which has a habit of learning from its combat experience and improving U.S. systems, there’s a strong national-interest case for U.S. military aid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

This is not out of character; his habit is to prematurely declare victory in everything, apparently assuming that the force of his declaration makes it a reality.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

Over the past century, several medications initially promoted as helpful sleep treatments were eventually found to carry serious risks of dependence and habit formation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

He got us all to laughing over Violet’s new bad habit.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

The NHS also advises a check-up if you notice changes in your regular toilet habits, such as having to poo more often, or a pattern of diarrhoea or constipation.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

That distinction matters, especially because the research didn’t establish that anyone’s personal habits were being used against them.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

While certain tea drinking habits were linked to a lower risk of disease, drinking tea at extremely high temperatures appeared to have the opposite association.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Proposals include switching to a chained COLA, which accounts for buyers’ spending habits, such as switching from one protein to another when the first becomes too expensive.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

She began to tell me all about the animals we were hearing, their names, the countries they had come from, their personalities, who was friends with who, all their funny habits.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

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Related Words

• custom
• manner
• mode
• nature
• obsession
• pattern
• quirk
• routine
• style
• thing
• usage

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