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

Eleanor worked for the housing association Valleys to Coast, which runs the complex that provides accommodation for over-60s and consists of 13 flats.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Callum Maddern, who lives in Bath, said he had seen his service charge increase six-fold to more than £8,000 per year after Curo said vital work needed doing on his accommodation block.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Needing accommodation, he moved into a supported house provided by Windrush Alliance and managed by Nxtgen Housing Ltd.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The registered provider of the supported exempt accommodation was Dawson Housing, a not-for-profit.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

It now offers a restaurant and overnight accommodation to hikers.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Lamberth said the Bureau of Prisons’ new regulation would “arbitrarily deprive inmates of medications and other lifestyle accommodations that its own medical staff have deemed to be medically appropriate.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Altogether, the combination of the main residence, guest accommodations and extensive outdoor amenities transforms the property into a private resort-like compound tucked into one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive residential areas.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Most of the time, offers of cash, travel vouchers and accommodations can help persuade passengers with flexible plans to give up seats voluntarily.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 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

The rez had no accommodations, so a lot of people selected the camping area.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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Related Words

• compromise
• reconciliation

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