habitual
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of a habit; fixed by or resulting from habit.
habitual courtesy.
-
(of a person) having developed a specified character through force of habit.
a habitual gossip.
- Synonyms:
- inveterate, confirmed
- Antonyms:
- occasional
-
commonly used, followed, observed, etc., as by a particular person; customary.
She took her habitual place at the table.
- Synonyms:
- regular, accustomed
- Antonyms:
- unaccustomed
adjective
-
(usually prenominal) done or experienced regularly and repeatedly
the habitual Sunday walk
-
(usually prenominal) by habit
a habitual drinker
-
customary; usual
his habitual comment
Synonym Usage
See usual.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of habitual
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin habituālis “relating to dress, condition, or habit,” equivalent to Latin habitu(s) habit 1 + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
If something is habitual, it's what you usually do. Your habitual jeans and t-shirt might work for school, but try dressing up for the opera. Habitual is the adjective form of habit, which comes from the Latin habēre, which meant the mode of one's being, and often referred to the mode of dress. Now habit means anything you do repeatedly — your habitual actions. Perhaps you have a habitual preference for cheeseburgers, which you eat at your habitual restaurant on your habitual Wednesday night out.
Vocabulary lists containing habitual
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Hello, Universe
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To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapters 1–11
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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.
The officers also suggested in the D.A.’s motion Flores was a habitual liar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“This customer profile has demonstrated resilience across economic cycles, benefiting from brand loyalty, habitual visitation and the affordable convenience positioning of the category,” the filing said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
"Practical strategies, such as avoiding the routine placement of saltshakers on the table, may also help reduce habitual salt use."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2026
"Despite growing awareness of the downsides of habitual and excessive device use, people struggle to successfully manage their time online," said Drage, a senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
“Not at all,” his father says eventually, one hand going to his ribs, a habitual gesture that has baffled Gogol until now.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
