A habitual action, state, or way of behaving is one that someone usually does or has, especially one that is considered to be typical or characteristic of them.
He soon recovered his habitual geniality.
If bad posture becomes habitual, you risk long-term effects.
Synonyms: customary, normal, usual, common More Synonyms of habitual
habituallyadverb [ADVERB with verb, ADVERB adjective]
His mother had a patient who habitually flew into rages.
...her habitually prim expression.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use habitual to describe someone who usually or often does a particular thing.
She was a habitual daydreamer.
...the home secretary's plans for minimum sentences for habitual criminals.
More Synonyms of habitual
habitual in British English
(həˈbɪtjʊəl)
adjective
1. (usually prenominal)
done or experienced regularly and repeatedly
the habitual Sunday walk
2. (usually prenominal)
by habit
a habitual drinker
3.
customary; usual
his habitual comment
Derived forms
habitually (haˈbitually)
adverb
habitualness (haˈbitualness)
noun
habitual in American English
(həˈbɪtʃuəl)
adjective
1.
formed or acquired by continual use; done by habit or fixed as a habit; customary
2.
being or doing a certain thing by habit; steady; inveterate
a habitual smoker
3.
much seen, done, or used; usual; frequent
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈusual
Derived forms
habitually (haˈbitually)
adverb
habitualness (haˈbitualness)
noun
Word origin
ML habitualis, of habit or dress: see habit
Examples of 'habitual' in a sentence
habitual
He's a drinker and habitual weed smoker.
The Sun (2016)
Some of them are habitual criminals who accept arrest as an occupational hazard.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
France had found a surefire way to identify its habitual criminals.
Colin Beavan FINGERPRINTS: Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity (2002)
The habitual use of sunglasses adds to this by cutting our access to full spectrum light.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
Turning out lights to save money has become habitual.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It seems they are not the only ones apparently locked into habitual behaviour.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Judges - because habitual criminals cannot stay out of jail?
The Sun (2008)
In my experience, the man is a habitual liar.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The face muscles set differently when we think we are observed; it becomes habitual.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Statistics show that if these young men and women go to jail, the majority will become habitual criminals.
Peter F. Drucker THE ESSENTIAL DRUCKER (2001)
After two years, any form of behaviour becomes habitual so you may have to go through it more than once.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Such behaviour may become habitual.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
The excess persists, becomes habitual, becomes the way you live.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Some have become habitual hunters, taking up to 40 sheep a year.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This wasn't easy at first, but this practice has now become a habitual part of my preparation.
Christianity Today (2000)
The violence had become so habitual I knew he'd lash out.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
habitual
British English: habitual ADJECTIVE
A habitual action, state, or way of behaving is one that someone usually does or has.