accustom

American  

[uh-kuhs-tuhm] / əˈkʌs təm /

verb (used with object)

1. to familiarize by custom or use; habituate.

   to accustom oneself to cold weather.

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accustom British  

/ əˈkʌstəm /

verb

1. to make (oneself) familiar (with) or used (to), as by practice, habit, or experience

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Other Word Forms

• preaccustom verb (used with object)
• reaccustom verb (used with object)
• unaccustom verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of accustom

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Middle French word acoustumer. See ac-, custom

Example Sentences

Unless there’s some outside push — like a new competitor — businesses will not cut prices that customers have grown accustomed to paying, she said.

From MarketWatch

Retail investors, however, are accustomed to trading out of investments whenever they choose.

From The Wall Street Journal

And that is tricky—especially compared with a platform like Uber, which is well accustomed to using pricing and software to adjust its fleet of drivers to match times of peak and low demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

After years of insurgencies, residents in eastern Congo are accustomed to food shortages, inflation and destitution.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. plans have generated considerable skepticism in a place not accustomed to good news.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acquaint
• adapt