From the verb *gewohnen* ("to accustom"), itself from *wohnen* ("to dwell, to reside") + the prefix *ge-*. The underlying idea is that a habit is something that has *settled in* and made itself at home in your life — just as one dwells in a place. The suffix *-heit* forms abstract nouns, parallel to English *-ness* or *-hood*.

German culture is often associated with valuing order and routine (*Ordnung*), so *Gewohnheit* carries a broadly positive connotation of reliability. The common proverb *„Gewohnheit ist die zweite Natur"* ("Habit is second nature") — a direct echo of Aristotle — is well-known to most German speakers. Note the related adjective *gewohnt* ("accustomed to") and the verb *sich gewöhnen an* ("to get used to"), which share the same root.