The word 惯例 (guànlì) is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: 惯 (guàn), which means "accustomed to" or "habitual", and 例 (lì), which means "example", "precedent", or "case". Together, they create a concept where 惯 modifies 例 to specify the type of example, not just any example, but one that is habitual, customary, and long-established. Thus, the term translates to "convention", "customary practice", or "established precedent", capturing the idea of a rule or procedure that has become standard through repeated use and tradition over time.