habitual
adjective
ha·bit·u·al
hə-ˈbi-ch(ə-)wəl 
ha-,
-ˈbi-chəl
1
2
: regularly or repeatedly doing, practicing, or acting in some manner : doing something by force of habit
habitual drunkards
a habitual liar
3
: resorted to on a regular basis
our habitual diet
4
: inherent in an individual
habitual grace
habitually
adverb
habitualness
noun
Examples of habitual in a Sentence
He was fired for his habitual lateness.
They went for their habitual evening walk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Offer Concrete Alternatives For Connection When an old ritual disappears, what partners often miss is not just the activity itself but the habitual cues of connection embedded within it.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, told the Bay Area News Group that the people who typically turn out during special elections are habitual voters — those who vote in every election — and voters who resonate with what’s on the ballot.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
Far bigger an issue than Netflix’s habitual gaming of the system has been the degree to which streaming movies have for all practical purposes obliterated the distinction between television and film.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
In The Humane Interface, Raskin not only discusses concepts such as leaping and habitual command behaviors but means of quantitative assessment as well.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for habitual
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Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, told the Bay Area News Group that the people who typically turn out during special elections are habitual voters — those who vote in every election — and voters who resonate with what’s on the ballot.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
Far bigger an issue than Netflix’s habitual gaming of the system has been the degree to which streaming movies have for all practical purposes obliterated the distinction between television and film.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
In The Humane Interface, Raskin not only discusses concepts such as leaping and habitual command behaviors but means of quantitative assessment as well.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for habitual
Cite this Entry
“Habitual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/habitual. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
habitual
adjective
ha·bit·u·al
hə-ˈbich-(ə-)wəl
ha-
1
: being or done by habit
habitual tardiness
2
: doing or acting out of habit
habitual talkers
3
: done, followed, or used often or regularly
took our habitual path
habitually
adverb
-ē
habitualness
noun
Medical Definition
habitual
adjective
ha·bit·u·al
hə-ˈbich-(ə-)wəl, ha-, -ˈbich-əl
1
: having the nature of a habit : being in accordance with habit
habitual smoking
2
: doing, practicing, or acting in some manner by force of habit
habitual liars
Legal Definition
habitual
adjective
ha·bit·u·al
hə-ˈbi-chə-wəl
1
: practicing or acting in some manner by force of custom, habit, or addiction
a habitual drunkard
2
: being such a specified number of times or with designated regularity
habitual offenders
3
: involved in the practice of a person's usual behavior
her habitual residence
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