consuetude

C2+ Topic:Law & Government

US /ˈkɑnswəˌtuːd/ UK /ˈkɒnswɪˌtjuːd/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
an established custom or usage, especially with legal force

By ancient consuetude, the villagers grazed sheep on the common.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an established custom or... custom usage habit tradition practice convention

Word family

Derived forms consuetudinary

Related forms customdesuetudeconsuetudinary

Etymology

From Latin consuetudo ('custom, habit, usage'), from consuescere ('to accustom'), from con- (intensive) + suescere ('to become accustomed'), related to suus ('one's own').

consuetudo Latin suescere Latin *swe- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government

External links

# consuetude

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɑnswəˌtuːd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɒnswɪˌtjuːd/

## Meanings
1. an established custom or usage, especially with legal force

## Examples
- By ancient consuetude, the villagers grazed sheep on the common.

## Synonyms
- custom
- usage
- habit
- tradition
- practice
- convention

## Derived Forms
- consuetudinary

## Related Forms
- custom
- desuetude
- consuetudinary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: consuetudo
- Root: suescere
- Root: *swe-

## Etymology
From Latin consuetudo ('custom, habit, usage'), from consuescere ('to accustom'), from con- (intensive) + suescere ('to become accustomed'), related to suus ('one's own').

## AI Etymology
Consuetude is a noun meaning "an established custom or usage, especially with legal force". Historically, it is from Latin consuetudo ('custom, habit, usage'), from consuescere ('to accustom'), from con- (intensive) + suescere ('to become accustomed'), related to suus ('one's own'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: consuetude is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Latin consuetudo, Latin suescere, and Proto-Indo-European *swe-. Close English family members include consuetudinary, custom, and desuetude.

## Topics
- Law & Government

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