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custom

/ˈkʌstəm/noun, adjective

custom is spelled C-U-S-T-O-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 27 times per million words in written English, the 3,422nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, custom means “Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of custom is customs.

How many letters and syllables are in custom?

Letters6: C-U-S-T-O-M
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing27 times per million words; the 3,422nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is custom?

Custom appears 27 times per million words in written English, the 3,422nd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce custom?

  • /ˈkʌstəm/

Custom has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-custom.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of custom

  • customs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • customing participle, present
  • customed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does custom mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.

    Much forbidden by elder custom is accepted today.

  2. 2

    Habitual buying of goods from one same vendor.

    Thank you for your custom.

  3. 3

    The habitual patrons (i.e. customers) of a business; business support.

  4. 4

    Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent. Compare prescription.

  5. 5

    Traditional beliefs or rituals.

    The Ancient Egyptian culture had many distinctive and interesting beliefs and customs; one custom was the mummification of the dead.

  6. 6

    A custom (made-to-order) piece of art, etc.

    The rest of the necklace holders finally came in! If you bought a custom from me thank you so much for your patience! I’m gonna try my best to crank them out as fast as possible

  7. 7

    obsoleteFamiliar acquaintance; familiarity.

  8. 8

    archaicToll, tax, or tribute.

    Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

adjective

  1. 1

    Made or done in a way adjusted to fit the needs of a particular person or group (e.g., customer, health care patient, do-it-yourselfer), and thus specialized and, in some cases, unique.

    Near-synonyms: custom-made, tailored, tailor-made, custom-built, purpose-built; see also Thesaurus:custom-made

  2. 2

    Own, personal, not standard or premade.

    We can embroider a wide range of ready designs or a custom logo.

  3. 3

    Done on a for-hire basis, as contrasted with being done only for oneself.

    custom threshing

  4. 4

    archaicAccustomed; usual.

verb

  1. 1

    obsoleteTo make familiar; to accustom.

    a. 1771 (written, published posthumously) Thomas Gray, Agrippina Have not forgot your sire; the eye of Rome And the Prætorian camp have long revered, With customed awe the daughter, sister, wife, And mother of their Cæsars

  2. 2

    obsoleteTo supply with customers.

  3. 3

    obsoleteTo pay the customs of.

  4. 4

    obsoleteTo have a custom.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Custom in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcoutume (frequent repetition of the same act), chalandise (habitual buying of goods from one same vendor), us (long-established practice), connaissance (familiar acquaintance; familiarity), droit de douane (the customary toll, tax, or tribute), sur mesure (custom-made)
GermanBrauch, Gewohnheit, Sitte (frequent repetition of the same act), maßgeschneidert, benutzerdefiniert (custom-made)
Portuguesecostume, hábito (frequent repetition of the same act), tradição (long-established practice), familiaridade (familiar acquaintance; familiarity), alfândega (the customary toll, tax, or tribute), sob medida (custom-made)
Spanishcostumbre, usanza, consuetud (frequent repetition of the same act), a medida, por encargo, al pedido (custom-made)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does custom come from?

From Middle English custume, borrowed from Anglo-Norman custume, inherited from Latin consuētūdinem, a noun derived from cōnsuēscō, from con- (“with”) + suēscō (“become used or accustomed to”). Displaced native Old English ġewuna and sidu. Doublet of costume, consuetude, and kastom. The adjectival form first appears c. 1830.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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