habitual

views updated Jun 11 2018

ha·bit·u·al / həˈbichoōəl/ • adj. done or doing constantly or as a habit: a habitual late sleeper this pattern of behavior can become habitual. ∎  regular; usual: his habitual dress.DERIVATIVES: ha·bit·u·al·ly adv.

Habitual

views updated Jun 11 2018

HABITUAL

Regular or customary; usual.

A habitual drunkard, for example, is an individual who regularly becomes intoxicated as opposed to a person who drinks infrequently. A habitual criminal is a legal category that has been created by a number of state statutes by which serious penalties can be imposed on individuals who have been repeatedly convicted of a designated crime.