habitual, a. (n.)
(həˈbɪtjuːəl)
[ad. med.L. habituāl-is, f. habitus habit.]
A. adj.
† 1. Philos. and Theol. Belonging to the ‘habit’ or inward disposition (see habit n. 8); inherent or latent in the mental constitution.
With various shades of meaning, as (a) latent in the mind or memory, though not exhibited in action, as in habitual knowledge or habitual cognition (in the Scotist philosophy), knowledge latent in the memory, and capable of being called up when occasion presents itself; (b) latent or inherent in the character, even when not in active exercise (= dispositive), as in habitual faith, habitual grace, habitual righteousness, etc., often opposed to ‘actual’; (c) potential, virtual, though not practically exercised, as in habitual jurisdiction; (d) inherent, native, as opposed to acquired, artificially assumed, or studied; (e) subjective, as opposed to ‘objective’.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 160 b, The attencyon that we ought to haue in prayer must be..not altogyder actuall nor onely habituall. a 1535 More Wks. 732 (R.) The habituall belief is in the childe, verye beliefe, though it be not actuall belieuing and thinking vpon the faith, as the habituall reason is in the childe very reason, though it be not actuall reasoninge and making of sillogismes. c 1585 Hooker Disc. Justification §21 The difference of the which operations..maketh it needfull to put two kindes likewise of sanctifying righteousnesse, Habituall, and Actuall. Habituall, that holynesse, wherewith our soules are inwardly indued, the same instant, when first wee begin to bee the Temples of the holy Ghost. 1615 D. Dyke Myst. Self-deceiving 114 There is a double both keeping and breaking of the commandments, habitual and actual. c 1656 Bramhall Replic. iv. 160 With the Romanists themselues I distinguish between habituall and actuall Jurisdiction. 1669 Cokaine Poems 74 Her sweet Conditions all the vertues were, Not studied but habitual in her. a 1716 South (J.) Art is properly an habitual knowledge of certain rules and maxims. 1837–8 Sir W. Hamilton Logic iii. vi. (1860) I. 52 By Objective of Systematic Logic is meant that complement of doctrines of which the Science of Logic is made up; by Subjective or Habitual Logic is meant the speculative knowledge of these doctrines which any individual..may possess. |
2. Of the nature of a habit; fixed by habit; existing as a settled practice or condition; constantly repeated or continued; customary.
| 1611 Cotgr., Habitual, habituall; customarie, continuall. 1616 Bullokar Engl. Expos., Habituall, growne to a habit by long custome. 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 128 To deprive women of their naturall feares, though she beleeved them to be rather habituall than naturall. 1681 tr. Belon's Myst. Physick Introd., In a Tertian Ague, when it is fix'd and habitual for many days. 1684 R. H. School Recreat. 25 Repeat them 'till it becomes habitual to him, to keep his Ground certain, advance..and observe a due Time. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. V. 253 Habitual dissoluteness of manners. 1824 W. Irving T. Trav. I. 108 An Englishman's habitual diffidence and awkwardness of address. 1859 Darwin Orig. Spec. viii. (1873) 205 How unconsciously many habitual actions are performed. 1880 L. Stephen Pope iv. 92 The thin, drawn features wear the expression of habitual pain. |
b. transf. Of an agent: That habitually does or is what is denoted by the noun; constantly or customarily occupied in a practice. Of a volcano: Constantly or frequently active or in eruption.
| 1825 Macaulay Ess., Milton (1854) 5 A habitual drunkard. 1830 Lyell Princ. Geol. I. 329 [He] supposed it to have been once a great habitual volcano, like Vesuvius. 1869 Act 32 & 33 Vict. c. 99. §1 This Act may be cited as The Habitual Criminals Act, 1869. 1875 Hamerton Intell. Life i. iii. 20 Almost all English people are habitual tea-drinkers. |
3. Commonly or constantly used; usual, accustomed.
| a 1654 Selden Table-T. (Arb.) 100 Proverbs are habitual to a Nation, being transmitted from Father to Son. 1750 Shenstone Rural Elegance 202 Th' habitual scene of hill and dale. 1820 Scoresby Acc. Arctic Reg. II. 16 The whale-fishers..who most distinguished themselves by their habitual success in capturing those formidable creatures. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola ii. xxxii, A low stool..was Romola's habitual seat when they were talking together. |
B. ellipt. as n.
† 1. A latent or inherent affection of the soul (cf. A. 1 b). Obs. rare.
| 1650 O. Sedgwick Christ the Life 22 For the Habituals of Grace..and..for the Comfortables of Grace. |
2. A habitual criminal, drunkard, etc. colloq.
| 1884 Gd. Words 398/2 As a body the ‘habituals’ are no doubt rightly labelled dangerous. 1895 Daily News 13 Apr. 5/1 Four ‘habituals’ at ten grains a day in every thousand people, would practically account for the whole of the opium lawfully consumed. |
Hence habituˈality, the quality or state of being habitual, habitualness; in quot. 1858, the state of being fixed in old habits. haˈbitualize v. trans., to render habitual.
| 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) II. 517 With the sole expectation of rivetting and habitualizing the three virtues thereby in our hearts. 1801 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XII. 403 Adjectives in ive, as communicative, conducive, expressive..bear to the participles present..the relation of habituality to actuality. 1858 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. I. iii. viii. (1872) 189 With our ponderous Austrian depth of Habituality and indolence of Intellect. |