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Synonyms

accommodate

American

[uh-kom-uh-deyt] / əˈkɒm əˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to do a kindness or a favor to; oblige.

to accommodate a friend by helping him move to a new apartment.

Synonyms:

abet, help, assist, aid, serve

Antonyms:

inconvenience
to provide suitably; supply (usually followed bywith ).

The officials were accommodated with seats toward the front of the room.
to lend money to.

Can you accommodate him, or are you short of cash?
to provide with a room and sometimes with food.
to furnish with accommodations, as food and lodgings.
to have or make room for.

Will this elevator accommodate 10 people?
to make suitable or consistent; adapt.

to accommodate oneself to circumstances.

Synonyms:

suit, fit
to bring into harmony or make adjustments or allowances for.

to accommodate differences;
to accommodate your busy schedule.

Synonyms:

harmonize, compose

verb (used without object)

to become adjusted or adapted.
to become reconciled; agree.

accommodate British

/ əˈkɒməˌdeɪt /

verb

(tr) to supply or provide, esp with lodging or board and lodging
(tr) to oblige or do a favour for
to adjust or become adjusted; adapt
(tr) to bring into harmony; reconcile
(tr) to allow room for; contain
(tr) to lend money to, esp on a temporary basis until a formal loan has been arranged

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does accommodate mean? To accommodate someone is to do them a favor or meet their needs or wants in some way, as in You don’t have to accommodate everyone all the time—sometimes the answer should be no. To accommodate a request is to honor it—to do what has been asked, as in They were kind enough to accommodate my special requests. The adjective accommodating means eager or willing to help or please in this way. Accommodate can also mean to make or have room for, as in This bus can accommodate up to 50 passengers. Similarly, accommodate can mean to provide someone with a place to stay, as in Unfortunately the hotel was not able to accommodate us—all the rooms were reserved. The related term accommodation is often used in this context, especially in relation to hotels rooms or other temporary lodging. In this case, it is often used in the plural, as in What are the accommodations like?Accommodation is also commonly used in a general way referring to the act of accommodating. This can be used in any of the senses of the word. Example: We’ve extended our hours to better accommodate our customers.

Synonym Usage

See oblige. See contain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of accommodate

First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin accommodātus “adjusted,” past participle of accommodāre “to adjust,” from ac- ac- + commod(us) “convenient, fitting, suitable” ( see com-, mode)

Explanation

If you accommodate, you are making an adjustment to suit a particular purpose. If you accommodate your brother's demand for the attic room, then you give in and let him take over that space. Accommodate entered English in the mid-16th century from the Latin word accommodat-, meaning "made fitting." Whether it refers to changing something to suit someone's wishes or providing someone with something he needs, accommodate typically involves making something fit. You might change your lunch plans, for example, to accommodate your best friend's schedule. Accommodate can also refer to providing housing or having enough space for something. You might need to open up the extra bedroom to accommodate your out-of-town guests.

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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.

See Examples For:

accommodate accommodates accommodated accommodating

Even though there are 12 of us walk-ins, the hostess immediately pushes several tables together to accommodate the group.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The road was originally built in the ’30s to accommodate traffic heading to the ski resort, which closed in the ’70s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Home Office minister Anna Turley has said the government is sticking with plans to accommodate asylum-seekers on former military bases despite protests from local residents.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

In 2026 there have been multiple hits to production worldwide and to accommodate for this, Price adjusts his global mine supply forecast by 3.5% every year.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Carmine flops over, tucking his legs beneath him and stretching his arms, and both of us shift to accommodate him.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

There is also a theater room, multiple bars, two garages, and a motor court that accommodates 20 cars.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Its legal framework already accommodates this approach by distinguishing between several types of property, including small homes, large apartment buildings, and commercial property.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026

Abu Dhabi’s tourism department also is funding construction of a Sphere there to echo the scale of the Las Vegas version, which accommodates as many as 20,000 people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

“The Pitt” ably accommodates the couch-bound walking wounded.

From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026

Sometimes we go out to a restaurant in the Atlanta Underground, or see a film at a theater that accommodates his wheelchair.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Iran responded by firing drones and ballistic missiles at Bahrain and Kuwait, which host U.S. bases and have accommodated the U.S. military throughout the war, according to a senior U.S. official.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

From one world-class facility to another, the SFA pushed the boat out again to secure the 52,000 square foot Atrium Health Performance Park, which previously accommodated Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

They have accommodated me with a hotel, but I don’t have access to basic amenities like laundry or a kitchen, and it’s been a significant amount of time.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

“I had another destiny, but life accommodated itself to place me in this valuable situation.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

We demanded to be accommodated together, and were given all sorts of absurd explanations why this was impossible.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Muenster is less assertive but more accommodating: its mild butteriness stands beside the sauce without competing, and it softens agreeably in summer warmth without becoming stringy or oily.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The calendar is also less accommodating than it was.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

But these days, builders and renovators often choose taller, “comfort height” toilets, usually with good intentions, like accommodating the disabled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, who is coordinating the all-British bout, said on Monday he wants the fight staged in England while also accommodating a global television audience.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

On normal days, of course, Lord Darlington took his meals, as does Mr Farraday today, in the more intimate atmosphere of the dining room, which is ideal for accommodating up to a dozen.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023