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
- accustomedly adverb
- accustomedness noun
- half-accustomed adjective
- well-accustomed adjective
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.
But Americans who think the process abroad will always meet the standards they are accustomed to can find themselves unexpectedly engulfed in a quagmire of complications.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
But like a world-class athlete accustomed to extreme rigor, he seemed unfazed by the expenditure of energy.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
That could be a warning for stocks, but it also may not matter because investors have become accustomed to this type of environment, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Bournemouth have become accustomed to having major talent poached and, although Iraola insists he does not have another job lined up, he is expected to be in high demand this summer.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
It wasn’t the cool, calm voice he’d become accustomed to hearing.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
