A habit is the usual condition or state of a person or thing, either natural or acquired, regarded as something had, possessed, and firmly retained. The term habit has at least three applications in English:
- A personal habit is one which shows a habitual routine that is not consciously considered.
- The beginning of a habit is like an invisible thread, but every time we repeat the act we strengthen the strand, add to it another filament, until it becomes a great cable and binds us irrevocably in thought and act. -Orison Swett Marden.
- In a religious context, it refers to the distinctive garment(s) worn by members of religious orders, e.g., for Catholic orders, it is normally comprised of a tunic, often covered by a scapular and cowl. For women, the veil normally used would be considered a part of the habit.
- In botany, habit refers to the appearance or manner of growth of a plant. That a particular species is an annual, a tree, or a vine are descriptions of the plant's habit.
- In mineralogy, habit refers to the typical appearance of minerals. Various descriptive terms are used, such as acicular for the needle-like habit of rutile in quartz. See crystal habit.
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