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Meaning & use

customs

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈkʌstəmz/
US/ˈkʌstəmz/

Meanings

  1. nounsingular

    The government office at a border or airport that checks goods and bags coming into a country and collects taxes on them.

    Grammar: Usually written without a, and treated as a place or body: go through customs; customs is slow today.

    Patterns

    • go through customs
    • clear customs
    • at customs

    We waited forty minutes to get through customs at the airport.

    The officer at customs asked what was in the box.

    Customs seized the shipment of counterfeit watches.

  2. nounplural

    Traditional ways of acting or celebrating that a group of people has followed for a long time.

    Grammar: Plural form of custom: local customs, wedding customs.

    Patterns

    • local customs
    • customs of somewhere

    Visitors should learn the local customs before they travel.

    Different families keep different customs at weddings.

    Greeting an elder with a bow is a custom in many countries.

  3. nounplural

    Taxes paid on goods brought into a country.

    Grammar: Often used as customs duty or customs duties.

    Patterns

    • pay customs on something
    • customs duty

    He had to pay customs on the imported wine.

    The new treaty lowers customs on farm goods.

    Customs duties raised the price of the car.

Common combinations

clear customs
We cleared customs in ten minutes.
customs officer
A customs officer inspected our suitcases.
customs duty
Customs duty is added to imported cars.
customs declaration
Fill in the customs declaration form before landing.
local customs
Travelers are advised to respect local customs.
customs and traditions
The museum explores customs and traditions of the region.

Synonyms and how they differ

traditions
Traditions are passed down across generations, while customs may be newer habits shared by a group.
practices
Practices is wider and neutral and can refer to any habitual activity.
duties
Duties for the tax sense is a near-synonym but stresses the tax, not the office.
tariffs
Tariffs are taxes a government sets on imports as policy, while customs may be the checks as well.

Word family

custom noun
one habit or traditional practice
customary adjective
usual or traditional
customer noun
a person who buys, from the old idea of the habit of shopping at a shop
customize verb
to change something to suit a person's needs
accustomed adjective
used to something

Commonly confused: customs or costumes? customs or immigration?

customs vs costumes

Costumes are clothes worn for a role or party. Customs are traditional practices or border controls.

customs vs immigration

Immigration checks your right to enter a country, while customs checks the goods you carry.

Practice

At the airport, passengers must show their bags at ___ before leaving the arrivals hall.

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