Meaning
custom, tradition
- custom, tradition, habit
In a sentence
Qui è usanza salutare tutti quando si entra.
Here it's customary to greet everyone when you come in.
Da voi è ancora usanza fare regali a Natale?
Is it still a custom at your place to give gifts at Christmas?
Non è mia usanza parlare al telefono la sera.
It's not my habit to talk on the phone in the evening.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| usanza | feminine · singular |
| usanze | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use usanza mainly for shared social or local practices; for a personal repeated behavior, abitudine is usually more natural.
- More literary or formal than costume in many contexts; costume often sounds broader and more everyday.
- Common in fixed phrases like secondo l'usanza and d'uso/usanza locale; less common in casual speech than abitudine or tradizione.