noun

habit

HAB-iht

noun

Something you do regularly, often without thinking about it.

"Checking his phone first thing every morning had become a habit."

"She's trying to build a habit of reading before bed."

A strong, hard-to-break dependency on something, especially a drug.

"His smoking habit was costing him a small fortune."

How to Use Habit

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA behavior you repeat so often it becomes automatic.

Common mistake

A "habit" is usually a repeated action; "custom" is more about shared social tradition.

Easily confused with

custom →

Common pairings

break a habit form a habit bad habit nervous habit

habited past tense, habits plural, habits singular

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Checking his phone first thing every morning had become a _____.

From Latin habitus ("condition, dress, bearing"), from habere ("to have or hold") — distantly related to "gift."

inhabit