acclimate

American  

[ak-luh-meyt, uh-klahy-mit] / ˈæk ləˌmeɪt, əˈklaɪ mɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

acclimated, acclimating

1. to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment; adapt.

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Other Word Forms

• acclimatable adjective
• acclimation noun
• reacclimate verb

Etymology

Origin of acclimate

From the French word acclimater, dating back to 1785–95; ac-, climate

Explanation

When you acclimate yourself to a situation, you become used to it. It usually means getting accustomed to a particular new climate, but it can also mean getting used to other situations, such as a new school. The word climate in the word acclimate should give you a clue as to the word's meaning: to get used to a specific climate. Nature allows the human body to acclimate itself to various weather conditions. For example, people moving to higher altitudes will develop more red blood cells in order to absorb oxygen better. This is their bodies' way of acclimating to the thinner air. It takes a while for the body to become acclimated to a new climate.

Example Sentences

He had yet to acclimate to his new neighborhood when he was arrested last year in a misunderstanding with the police.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

After agreeing to work with Stolz, Corby didn’t bother trying to acclimate himself to the current training methodology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Once we move to the “Mother” sequence, we’ve started to acclimate to the movie’s discomfiting rhythms — which is good considering that, if anything, Timothea and Lilith’s relationship with their mom is even frostier.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

It’s just about maintaining visible resistance so people don’t slowly acclimate to this new environment.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

She helped Enoch acclimate to living in the big city, since the noise, the buildings, the vehicles, and the people were all new to him.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Related Words

• accustom