Word
habitual
Phoneticsha·bit·u·al, stress on the second syllable
US/həˈbɪtʃuəɫ/
UK/hɐbˈɪtʃuːəl/
Definition
adj. describing something you do very often or by habit, until it becomes a regular part of your life.
adj. done or experienced regularly and repeatedly; established by long-standing practice. Often used to describe a person who consistently behaves in a specific way.
Examples
“He is a habitual coffee drinker who needs a cup every morning.”
“The teacher noticed that the student's habitual lateness was starting to affect his grades.”
“While some behaviors are conscious choices, others become so habitual that the individual performs them without any deliberate thought or awareness of the environmental triggers.”
Examples
simple
“He is a habitual coffee drinker who needs a cup every morning.”
contextual
“The teacher noticed that the student's habitual lateness was starting to affect his grades.”
complex
“While some behaviors are conscious choices, others become so habitual that the individual performs them without any deliberate thought or awareness of the environmental triggers.”
Usage
Commonly used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after a linking verb.
Real-World Examples
“The discovery could represent the earliest known evidence of habitual drug use anywhere in the world.” “In contrast, students from high schools with more lenient policies showed more habitual phone use.” Etymology
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English habitual (“of one's inherent disposition”), from Medieval Latin habituālis (“customary; habitual”), from Latin habitus (“character; disposition; habit; physical or emotional condition; attire, dress”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); analysable as habit + -ual. Habitus is derived from habeō (“to have; to hold; to own; to possess”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- (“to grab, take”)) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns from verbs). The noun is derived from the adjective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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