habituation

American  

[huh-bich-oo-ey-shuhn] / həˌbɪtʃ uˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of habituating.

2. the condition of being habituated.

3. physiological tolerance to or psychological dependence on a drug, short of addiction.

4. reduction of psychological or behavioral response occurring when a specific stimulus occurs repeatedly.

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habituation British  

/ həˌbɪtjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of habituating

2. psychol the temporary waning of an innate response that occurs when it is elicited many times in succession Compare extinction

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habituation Scientific  

/ hə-bĭch′o̅o̅-ā′shən /

1. The gradual decline of a response to a stimulus resulting from repeated exposure to the stimulus.

2. Physiological tolerance for a drug resulting from repeated use.

3. Psychological dependence on a drug resulting from repeated use.

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Etymology

Origin of habituation

1400–50; late Middle English. See habituate, -ion

Example Sentences

“Moreover, habituation to livestock inadvertently draws wolves closer to human communities, increasing the potential for conflict despite their natural avoidance of people.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

Yet one daring idea would be to apply the concept of habituation to the relationship between cancer and immunity.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

It just seems as though through habit, habituation, comfort-sleepwalking, or myopia, we are so narrowly focused on this small tranche of cases and still treat the justices as oracles.

From Slate • Oct. 5, 2024

And so, this is about habituation and conditioning.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2024

The old notion as to "mithridatism" was that an animal or a man would have to be separately prepared and "immunised" by habituation for every distinct kind of poison.

From More Science From an Easy Chair by Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir

Related Words

• frequency
• repetition