consuetude means custom, familiarity. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
consuetude is pronounced /ˈkɒnswɪtjuːd/.
Why “consuetude” is a great word
CONSUETUDE — [Noun] A custom or usage established by long-continued practice. From Middle English consuetude, from Middle French consuetude, from Old French consuetude, learnedly borrowed from Latin cōnsuētūdō ("custom, habit, usage"), from cōnsuēscō ("to accustom, habituate"). First known use in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "custom" (a broader term for any accepted practice) or "habit" (which denotes a personal, often involuntary routine), consuetude implies a social practice hardened by time into a silent, binding force. It is the worn dip in a stone step from centuries of passing feet, the unspoken rule of who sits where in the parish pew, the precise tolling of the curfew bell that has outlived the reason for its ringing—the quiet architecture of a life built not on choice, but on accumulated repetition.
Etymology
From Middle English consuetude, from Middle French consuetude, from Old French consuetude, learnedly borrowed from Latin cōnsuētūdō. Doublet of costume, custom, and kastom.
noun
- Custom, familiarity.““the stain hath become engrained by time and consuetude; let thy reformation be cautious, as it is just and wise.””