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

Explanation

The verb accustom means to become used to or familiar with something; to make something a habit. If there is a new baby in your family, you will most likely become accustomed to changing diapers. Although the verb accustom looks like it should be related to the word custom, it actually comes through costume, through the Old French acostumer, with à, meaning "to," and costume, meaning "fashion or habit." Now it retains the meaning to make something a habit. You can accustom yourself to loud sirens if you live in a city or to the sound of crickets if you live in the country. Parents often cannot become accustomed to the musical taste of their kids.

Example Sentences

Trent, the former customer the Roosevelt Bartell, ended up at the Rite Aid in Wedgwood, where she said she’s had to accustom herself to long waits.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2023

Much the same is true for the pandemic, which lingers in ways we find we can endure precisely because our martial metaphors accustom us to thinking we will definitively defeat it.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

Apparently convinced of the virtues of modesty, he never seemed to accustom himself to the perquisites of fame and high office.

From New York Times • Dec. 26, 2021

You can accustom yourself to believing things without support or believing things without empirical validation or believing by simply brushing aside questions.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2021

It wasn’t a very good imitation, but it was better than nothing, and we wanted to do whatever we could to accustom our bodies to space.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Related Words

• acquaint
• adapt