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
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.
At this point, investors have grown accustomed to brief bouts of volatility — spurred by tariffs, the war with Iran or creeping worries about the payoff on artificial-intelligence-related investments.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Naomi was accustomed to Lisa-Kaindé’s whims long before they became professional artists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
From AI notetakers to camera-equipped smartglasses, many professionals are increasingly accustomed to recording or being recorded in the name of productivity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Already accustomed to extreme environments, they are quick to adapt to the wind farm's conditions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
They were accustomed to boats, so they had no trouble getting into it quietly.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
