Learn English – what’s the difference between “custom” and “practice”

nounsword-choice

For example:

  1. As for what language to speak among family members in a certain situation there is the traditional practice to follow.
  2. As for what language to speak among family members in a certain situation there is the traditional custom to follow.

For example:

  1. This is the custom of Jingpo wedding: the bride must pass three barriers before she gets to the bridegroom's home.
  2. This is the practice of Jingpo wedding: the bride must pass three barriers before she gets to the bridegroom's home.

Example 1 and 3 are what I read in an article(a Chinese-English translation).
Jingpo is a people of China.

I looked up in a dictionary and it seems that "custom" is something which is usual or traditional in a particular society or in particular circumstances, and that "practice" is just something people do regularly…

So I suppose, for my examples, they are both OK to use but "custom" is better?

Best Answer

As for what language to speak among family members in a certain situation there is the traditional practice to follow.
As for what language to speak among family members in a certain situation there is the traditional custom to follow.

I would say that 'traditional practice' and 'custom' are synonyms. Therefore the phrase in your second version, 'traditional custom' means 'traditional traditional practice'. It is therefore tautological.

I hope that answers your question.

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