Habit Meaning
/ˈhæb.ɪt/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAn action performed on a regular basis.
nounAn action performed repeatedly and automatically, usually without awareness.
Sentence Examples
You should try to form the habit of using your dictionaries.
You must get rid of that bad habit.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He had a bad ____ of biting his nails when nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She made it a daily ____ to spend at least thirty minutes reading a book before she went to bed at night.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English habit, from Latin habitus (“condition, bearing, state, appearance, dress, attire”), from habeō (“to have, hold, keep”). Distantly related to gift. Replaced Middle English abit, from Old French abit, itself from the same Latin source. Displaced native Old English þēaw, wuna, and ġewuna.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"a man of very shy, retired habits"
— 1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], Tales of a Traveller, (please specify |part=1 to 4), Philadelphia, Pa.: H[enry] C[harles] Carey & I[saac] Lea, […], →OCLC:
"Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found."
— 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
"Another white boy band / They're happy on demand / Everything is planned / Until the singer gets a habit"
— 2000, “I'm With Stupid”, in WYSIWYG, performed by Chumbawamba:
"Here I began my shopping, was interviewed by dressmakers, and naturally had much to do to habit myself for civilized life again."
— 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 132:
"Sidesaddle riding habits were prestigious tailored sportswear appropriate for the equestrian pursuits of the truly wealthy."
— 2015, Alison Matthews David, Fashion Victims: The Damages of Dress Past and Present, →ISBN, page 34:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He had a bad ____ of biting his nails when nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She made it a daily ____ to spend at least thirty minutes reading a book before she went to bed at night.