noun · 2 syllables · /ˈhæb.ɪt/

HABIT

What does "HABIT" mean?

A settled tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

Meanings

An acquired behavior pattern followed regularly, often unconsciously. Checking his phone first thing in the morning had become a habit he couldn't shake.
A distinctive long garment worn by members of a religious order. The nuns moved across the courtyard in their black habits.
The characteristic mode of growth or form of a plant or crystal. The mineral has a cubic crystal habit. technical
An addiction, especially to a drug. He spent a year fighting a heroin habit. informal

Did you know?

The popular '21 days to a habit' rule is a myth: a 2010 study by Phillippa Lally found it took a median of 66 days for a behavior to become automatic, ranging from 18 to 254 days.

Word origin

From Latin 'habitus' (condition, appearance, dress), from 'habere' (to have, hold); the clothing and behavior senses both descend from this idea of how one 'holds' oneself.

Remember it

A habit is hard 'to ABIT' - the abandon part is the hard part; the word literally has 'a bit' you do over and over.

A little poem

First you walk the path by choice,
then the path begins to walk you-
the groove deciding where you go.

tercet

Wordplay

I tried to break my habit of wearing a nun's robe, but it was just too hard to kick the habit.

What it teaches

A habit is a vote cast for the person you are becoming, and you never get to abstain.

Quick facts

What does HABIT mean?

A settled tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

Is HABIT a valid word?

Yes — HABIT is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is HABIT?

HABIT has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does HABIT come from?

From Latin 'habitus' (condition, appearance, dress), from 'habere' (to have, hold); the clothing and behavior senses both descend from this idea of how one 'holds' oneself.

What can HABIT teach us?