Habit
/ˈhæb.ɪt/noun
A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
Did you know?The term 'habit' is linked to the Latin word for 'having' or 'possessing', which suggests that our routines can possess us just as much as we possess them.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰab-
“to grasp, to have”
Latin
Latin
habitus
“condition, state, or having of something”
Old French
Old French
habit
“a dress or clothing, a way of wearing”
Middle English
Middle English
habit
“a customary practice, especially in a religious context”
Modern English
English
habit
“a regular practice or routine, often unconscious”