accommodation

American  

[uh-kom-uh-day-shuhn] / əˌkɒm əˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

• accommodations
  plural

1. the act of accommodating; state or process of being accommodated; adaptation.

2. adjustment of differences; reconciliation.

3. Sociology. a process of mutual adaptation between persons or groups, usually achieved by eliminating or reducing hostility, as by compromise or arbitration.

4. anything that supplies a need, want, favor, convenience, etc.

5. Usually accommodations.

   1. lodging.

   2. food and lodging.

   3. a seat, berth, or other facilities for a passenger on a train, plane, etc.

6. readiness to aid or please others; obligingness.

7. a loan.

8. Ophthalmology. the automatic adjustment by which the eye adapts itself to distinct vision at different distances.

9. accommodation bill.

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accommodation British  

/ əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. lodging or board and lodging

2. adjustment, as of differences or to new circumstances; adaptation, settlement, or reconciliation

3. something fulfilling a need, want, etc; convenience or facility

4. physiol the automatic or voluntary adjustment of the shape of the lens of the eye for far or near vision

5. willingness to help or oblige

6. commerce a loan, usually made as an act of favour by a bank before formal credit arrangements are agreed

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accommodation Scientific  

/ ə-kŏm′ə-dā′shən /

1. The adjustment in the focal length of the lens of the eye. Accommodation permits images at different distances to be focused on the retina.

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Usage

What does accommodation mean? Accommodation is commonly used in the plural form (accommodations) to refer to lodging—a place to stay, usually temporarily, as in hotel accommodations. Sometimes, accommodations means both food and lodging, as in This resort is all-inclusive, so all of our accommodations are included in the cost. In the context of transportation, accommodations refers to one’s seat on a vehicle, such as an airplane or train, or one’s lodging on a train or ship that has rooms (cabins) for sleeping. More generally, accommodation means the act of accommodating. The verb accommodate has several meanings. To accommodate someone is to do them a favor or meet their needs or wants in some way. For example: Your constant accommodation of people doesn’t leave any time for yourself. To accommodate a request is to honor it—to do what has been asked. For example: Your accommodation of my special requests has been very kind. The adjective accommodating means eager or willing to help or please in this way. Accommodate can also mean to make or have room for, as in This bus can accommodate up to 50 passengers. Similarly, accommodate can mean to provide someone with a place to stay. For example: Unfortunately, the accommodation of that many people is not possible at this hotel. Example: What were the accommodations like at your hotel? Did your room have a nice view?

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaccommodation
  noun
• preaccommodation
  noun
• accommodational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accommodations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of accommodation

1595–1605; < Latin accommodātiōn- (stem of accommodātiō ) adjustment. See accommodate, -ion

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Explanation

Accommodation is all about making room — it can mean a room or place where you will stay or an agreement about sharing something. If the only accommodation at Grandma's is the bunk bed and you and your sis decide to take turns on the top, you've made an accommodation regarding your accommodations. When you are accommodating someone, you are making room for them or special circumstances for them. For example, the student with the broken hand was granted the accommodation of having a scribe write his answers for the test. Always remember that accommodation is an accommodating word — there's room inside for two m's and two c's.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accommodation accommodations

A source close to the matter told AFP that accommodation for several thousand such personnel had been built in Kisangani.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Airbnb, the tournament’s official fan accommodation, offered new hosts $750 incentives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

HEA also provides accommodation vessels to house oil and gas workers, and battery-powered subsea vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

After selling their house at the start of the year, they lived in rented accommodation for a number of months, before heading to the airport in May for the big farewell.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

“And many more will come now that Abakaliki has fallen. You know that since Enugu fell, accommodation has been a big problem. Some people who work in the directorates are even sleeping in their cars.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In addition to the main house, there is a separate guesthouse and dedicated accommodations for staff, providing plenty of space for visitors and those working on the estate.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

The club would foot constructions costs as a "gift" to Americans and provide free memberships to future presidents - and accommodations to visiting foreign dignitaries.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Kingdom, the administration has asked the court, on the emergency docket, to lift an injunction currently preventing it from implementing policies that seek to deprive trans prisoners of much-needed healthcare and social accommodations.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

The principal can discuss accommodations and schedule a meeting to go over pronouns and locker rooms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

I dropped my backpack in a room with my dad that smelled like furniture polish and lemon candies and decided to hike down the sidewalk for a side-by-side comparison of the accommodations.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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Related Words

• compromise
• reconciliation

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