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Former vs Customary - What's the difference?

former | customary | Related terms |

Former is a related term of customary.


As adjectives the difference between former and customary

is that former is previous while customary is agreeing with, or established by, custom; established by common usage; conventional; habitual.

As nouns the difference between former and customary

is that former is someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder while customary is a book containing laws and usages, or customs; a custumal.

former

English

Alternative forms

* (l)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) former, comparative of . Parallel to (m) (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to (m) and (m) (thence (m)), from Proto-Germanic.

Adjective

(-)
  • Previous.
  • :
  • *
  • *:At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
  • (senseid) First of aforementioned two items. Used with the , often without a noun.
  • :
    • Synonyms
    * (previous) anterior, erstwhile, previous, prior, quondam, ex- * See also
    Antonyms
    * latter

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.
    • Dave was the former of the company.
  • An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.
    • ''The brick arch was built using a wooden former .
  • (chiefly, British, used in combinations) Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).
    • ''Fifth-former
    Sixth-former .
    Derived terms
    * pan former

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * reform ----

    customary

    English

    Noun

    (customaries)
  • A book containing laws and usages, or customs; a custumal.

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Agreeing with, or established by, custom; established by common usage; conventional; habitual.
  • *
  • *:At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
  • Holding or held by custom; as, customary tenants; customary service or estate.
  • *1777 , Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland
  • *:The tenants are chiefly customary and heriotable.

    • Quotations

    * 1956 — , The City and the Stars , p 39 *: When two people met for the first time in Diaspar—or even for the hundredth—it was customary to spend an hour or so in an exchange or courtesies before getting down to business, if any.

    Synonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * customarily

    Related terms

    * consuetude * costumal * costume * custom * customer * customization * customize