Customary Meaning
/ˈkʌs.tə.m(ə.)ɹi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjIn accordance with, or established by, custom or common usage.
adjHolding or held by custom.
Sentence Examples
When you go abroad, you'd better keep in mind that tipping is customary.
In Japan it is not customary to tip for good service.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
It is ____ to remove your shoes before entering the temple.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
When you go abroad, you'd better keep in mind that tipping is ____.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English custumary, from Medieval Latin custumarius. By surface analysis, custom + -ary.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass."
— 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
"When two people met for the first time in Diaspar—or even for the hundredth—it was customary to spend an hour or so in an exchange or courtesies before getting down to business, if any."
— 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 39:
""If you're accused of profiling or pretextual stops, you can bring your daily logbook to court and document that pulling over motorists for 'stickler' reasons is part of your customary pattern," Remsberg writes, "not a glaring exception conveniently dusted off in the defendant's case.""
— 2019, Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers:
"As Trevor Corson, author of “The Story of Sushi” explains, in Japan, sushi is typically eaten at a bar, where it’s customary for the customer to chat with the chef, who can recommend what’s in season. The short window during which the fish is fresh also makes it more likely to be tastier in Japan."
— 2023 June 15, Rebecca Wallwork, “‘You had to be there’: Foods that taste better on home turf”, in CNN:
"The tenants are chiefly customary and heriotable."
— 1777, Joseph Nicolson, Richard Burn, The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
It is ____ to remove your shoes before entering the temple.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
When you go abroad, you'd better keep in mind that tipping is ____.