noun
usual practice; custom; common usage
Refers to an established way of doing things, a conventional practice, or what is normally done. Often used in formal or written contexts.
この地域では、祭りのときに餅を配るのが常例だ。
In this region, it is customary to distribute mochi during the festival.
会議の進行は常例に従って行われた。
The meeting proceeded according to the usual practice.
Compound of 常 (じょう, 'usual, ordinary') and 例 (れい, 'example, precedent'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'usual practice'.