habitué

American  

[huh-bich-oo-ey, -bich-oo-ey, a-bee-twey] / həˈbɪtʃ uˌeɪ, -ˌbɪtʃ uˈeɪ, a biˈtweɪ /

noun

• habitués
  plural

1. a frequent or habitual visitor to a place.

   a habitué of art galleries.

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habitué British  

/ həˈbɪtjʊˌeɪ /

noun

1. a frequent visitor to a place

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• habitués
  plural

Etymology

Origin of habitué

First recorded in 1810–20; from French, noun use of masculine past participle of habituer, from Late Latin habituāre; see habituate

Explanation

A habitué is a frequent and well-known patron of a particular place. If you walk into a restaurant, and the entire staff waves and says your name, you are likely a habitué. The English habitué is spelled and pronounced the same as the 200-year-old French word (the accent is optional), which means "accustomed." The most famous habitué in American sitcom history is probably Norm Peterson of Cheers, whose arrival was always greeted by a chorus of patrons shouting "Norm!" Other, less French-sounding words for this famous fellow might be fixture or regular.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

habitué habitués

The older painter, though remaining a salon habitué, lent a Morisot painting he owned to the show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025

While researching, Peters also stumbled across the green darner dragonfly: Washington’s state insect; a habitué of lakes, ponds and springs; and a rich symbol.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

But Albarado — old, broken up and a habitué of the bush circuit — summoned his instincts of old.

From New York Times ● Oct. 3, 2020

Idina Menzel, bringing all her Tony-winning radiance to the non-musical role she performed last year off-Broadway, plays Jodi Isaac, a 40-something Los Angeles lawyer whose husband dumped her for a 24-year-old habitué of SoulCycle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2019

The old habitué of the ballet was painted, hollow-cheeked, and slovenly, and his voice sounded sepulchral.

From Royal Highness by Thomas Mann

Business-class habitués might not care much but, when you’re splurging, it all starts with the welcome in my book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

He had an exceptional affinity for Rome, where, despite lacking prior knowledge of the city, he won accolades from well-informed habitués, including Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who extolled the perceptiveness of his portrait.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2022

As narrated by Damon Runyon in his signature “Guys and Dolls” style, they describe the tiffs and rivalries among the habitués of a celestial saloon.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2021

The counterculture movement has deep roots from the granola-crunchy vibe of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury to the chilled-out Abbot Kinney habitués of Venice of old.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2019

You cannot get in, for a porter guards each door, and if you elude him you are easily detected by the habitués, and obliged to beat a precipitate retreat. 

From Here and There in London by J. Ewing (James Ewing) Ritchie