custom

How it's done

Custom is a habitual practice or long-established tradition within a group: It's our custom to open presents on Christmas Eve.

Customs in the plural refers to duties levied on imported goods, or the government agency that collects them: We went through customs at the airport.

As an adjective, custom means made to order rather than mass-produced: custom furniture, a custom suit.

The adjective often compounds: custom-built, custom-made.

tax

duty

Required moral task

border · declaration · levy · excise · smuggling · contraband · checkpoint · inspection · clearance · bonded

tradition

heritage

Inherited cultural legacy

festival · celebration · rites · observance · legacy · protocol · etiquette · mores · convention · pageantry

personalized

bespoke

Made to individual specifications

one-of-a-kind · commissioned · personalization · configured · adapted · unique · exclusive · handcrafted · artisanal · monogrammed

habit

routine

Regular sequence of actions

pattern · norm · ingrained · second-nature · behavior · tendency · wont · manner · way · usual

tailoring

measurements

Quantified sizes or amounts

fitting · alterations · bespoke · garment · dressmaker · sartorial · couture · hemming · inseam · draping

standardized

uniform

Identical throughout

specification · protocol · guideline · criteria · ISO · compliance · conformity · mass-produced · generic · boilerplate

folklore

folktale

Traditional narrative passed down

  • legendUnverified traditional tale
  • mythTraditional explanatory tale
  • proverbTraditional saying expressing truth

ballad · chant · riddle · saga · epic · lore · superstition · archetype · motif · fable

Categories
Opposites
tradition vs. innovation

custominnovation

Creating something original

novelty · departure · change · modernization · revolution

customization vs. standardization

custommass-produced

Made in large quantities

ready-made · off-the-rack · off-the-shelf · standard · standardized

informal practice vs. formal rule

customlaw

Binding principle or regulation

regulation · statute · ordinance · command · decree

Phrases
Family

customer, customs, customary, customers, accustomed, accustom, unaccustomed, customarily, customize

Familiarity
Top 10,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G