What is the Latin word for custom?

The usual Latin words for “custom” are mōs, cōnsuētūdō, īnstituō; also rītus, caerimōnia, ēmptor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“custom” in Latin

mōsway or manner (of behaving); behavior; conduct; custom; habit; practice; usage; wont; character; disposition; inclinatio cōnsuētūdōThe act of habituating; state of being habituated or accustomed, habituation.; A custom, habit, use, usage, convention, īnstituōto set up, establish, found, institute or arrange; to train, teach, instruct, educate (usually by a course of training);rītusrite, ceremony; habit, custom, usage caerimōniareligious ceremony, ritual; sacredness, sanctity; reverence, veneration, awe ēmptorbuyer, purchaser vectīgaltax, tribute, (public) revenue; windfall, profit, (private) revenue

The English word custom itself goes back to Latin suēscō, through consuetudo.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

custom

Habit, mos: consuetudo. (The words are found in this connection and order.) mos atque consuetudo: institutum (a custom now sanctioned either by formal or tacit agreement). (The words are found in this connection and order.) mos atque institutum, or mos institutumque, or institutum ac mos: ritus (the external form observed in any holy or profane act). (The words are found in this connection and order.) mos ac ritus: caerimonia (the form in sacred things): ☞ Usus (= the constant use of anything or practice of anything) always requires an object either expressed or understood, and can never stand for mos, etc. An old custom, vetus mos: vetus consuetudo: receptus inter veteres mos (i. e., a custom practised by the ancients): mos ab antiquis ad nostram aetatem traditus: mos a majoribus or ab antiquis traditus: mos institutumque majorum: ritus patrius (a custom handed down to us from our ancestors): it is the custom, mos est; moris est: it is an old or ancient custom, a majoribus or ab antiquis traditus est mos; a majoribus institutum est: it is a custom with the Greeks that, etc., est moris Graecorum, ut, etc.: it has thus become the custom that, etc., est hoc in more positum, ut, etc.: this used to be his custom, sic ejus erat mos: it happens to be my custom, sic meus est mos: it is a custom among them, ita illis mos est: custom requires that it should be so, consuetudo ita fert: against or contrary to cuscom, contra morem; praeter morem: according to custom, e or de more; more; instituto ac more: according to an old or ancient custom, recepto inter veteres more; vetere consuetudine; more institutoque majorum; recepta jam pridem consuetudine: to be received as a custom, in morem venire: to follow the same custom, eodem instituto uti: to introduce a new custom, novum morem inducere: sacred by custom, sollemnis (Liv. 4, 53).

Habit of purchasing; by circumlocution. To give anybody one’s custom, *a aliquo (multa) emere; *alicujus tabernam frequentare: uti alicujus opera (to employ a workman).

Customers, emptores (of a merchant): *qui alicujus opera utuntur (of a mechanic): to have a good custom, *multos emptores habere (of a merchant); *multis operam suam praebere or praestare (of a mechanic). He is losing his custom, *discedunt a aliquo emptores pristini.

Duty, vectigal (general term): portorium (for imports and transit): to pay the custom, vectigal pendere, portorium dare: Vid: also, DUTY.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for custom?: The usual Latin words for “custom” are mōs, cōnsuētūdō, īnstituō; also rītus, caerimōnia, ēmptor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.