accustomed
Americanadjective
-
customary; usual; habitual.
in their accustomed manner.
- Synonyms:
- regular, normal, characteristic
- Antonyms:
- unusual
-
habituated; acclimated (usually followed byto ).
accustomed to staying up late; accustomed to the noise of the subway.
adjective
-
usual; customary
-
used or inured (to)
-
in the habit (of)
accustomed to walking after meals
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of accustomed
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at accustom, -ed 2
Explanation
If you're accustomed to something, you're used to it. Being accustomed has to do with habits and lifestyle. Anything you're accustomed to is a regular thing for you. A rich person is probably accustomed to fancy clothes, expensive food, and beautiful houses. A football player is accustomed to getting tackled and tackling other people. Office workers get accustomed to filling out forms and fixing the copy machine. We can also say an accustomed thing is a usual, customary thing. When you think of the word accustomed, think "nothing new here."
Vocabulary lists containing accustomed
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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The Wishing Spell
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several of his players are already accustomed to some altitude from playing for clubs in Johannesburg, at 5,751 feet.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
It would be an adjustment for someone accustomed to traditional Medicare to switch to an Advantage plan and bump up against these restrictions, says Louise Norris, health policy analyst at MedicareResources.org External link.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
The show, which just wrapped its 58th season, had been accustomed to a fair amount of autonomy from the rest of CBS News.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Although Holman is accustomed to working on glamorous big budget productions, he is also fiercely proud of his working class roots.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The suffragists grew accustomed to opposition to their goals and tactics from both men and women, but soon crowds gathered to oppose women picketing the White House.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
