accustom

verb

ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkə-stəm How to pronounce accustom (audio)
accustomed; accustoming; accustoms

transitive verb

: to make familiar with something through use or experience
accustomation noun

Examples of accustom in a Sentence

the task of accustoming new recruits to shipboard life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both are willful, impulsive, and accustomed to being in charge. Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024 Getting to the large-scale advanced AI that we are accustomed to takes a whole lot of resources and an enormous highly skilled workforce to devise. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 The nurses also provided some basic medical education, making sure that everyone in the area, long accustomed to being able to drink from their local creek, knew that the water was now contaminated because of the flooding. Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024 While its remote location at the top of the world makes flying and staying here expensive, Greenland isn’t for luxury lovers accustomed to being cosseted. Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accustom 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acustomen "to habituate (reflexive or intransitive)," borrowed from Anglo-French acustumer, acostumer, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + -customer, costomer, verbal derivative of custume custom entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accustom was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near accustom

Cite this Entry

“Accustom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accustom. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

accustom

verb
ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkəs-təm How to pronounce accustom (audio)
: to make familiar

More from Merriam-Webster on accustom

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