accommodate

American  

[uh-kom-uh-deyt] / əˈkɒm əˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• accommodates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• accommodated,
  past participle,  past
• accommodating
  present participle

1. 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

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

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

3. to lend money to.

   Can you accommodate him, or are you short of cash?

4. to provide with a room and sometimes with food.

5. to furnish with accommodations, as food and lodgings.

6. to have or make room for.

   Will this elevator accommodate 10 people?

7. to make suitable or consistent; adapt.

   to accommodate oneself to circumstances.

   Synonyms:

   suit, fit

8. to bring into harmony or make adjustments or allowances for.

   to accommodate differences;

   to accommodate your busy schedule.

   Synonyms:

   harmonize, compose

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verb (used without object)

• accommodates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• accommodated,
  past participle,  past
• accommodating
  present participle

1. to become adjusted or adapted.

2. to become reconciled; agree.

accommodate British  

/ əˈkɒməˌdeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to supply or provide, esp with lodging or board and lodging

2. (tr) to oblige or do a favour for

3. to adjust or become adjusted; adapt

4. (tr) to bring into harmony; reconcile

5. (tr) to allow room for; contain

6. (tr) to lend money to, esp on a temporary basis until a formal loan has been arranged

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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

• reaccommodate
  verb
• preaccommodate
  verb (used with object)
• accommodable
  adjective
• accommodative
  adjective
• nonaccommodable
  adjective
• unaccommodable
  adjective
• underaccommodated
  adjective
• well-accommodated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• accommodating
  present
• accommodated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• accommodate
  simple
• accommodates
  simple
• have accommodated
  perfect
• has accommodated
  perfect
• am accommodating
  progressive
• are accommodating
  progressive
• is accommodating
  progressive
• have been accommodating
  perfect progressive
• has been accommodating
  perfect progressive

Past

• accommodated
  simple
• had accommodated
  perfect
• was accommodating
  progressive
• were accommodating
  progressive
• had been accommodating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will accommodate
  simple
• will have accommodated
  perfect
• will be accommodating
  progressive
• will have been accommodating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accommodate accommodates accommodated accommodating

Russia noted the bridge is designed to accommodate expanded growth in freight with the capacity for up to 300 vehicles daily, which adds to the rail and air links already between the neighbours.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Tamarack said that, following the merger, it will be able to accommodate the higher production volume with current and planned pipeline connections in the province.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

History accumulates faster than collective memory can accommodate it.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

But that can create its own problems; if too many unscheduled aircraft land at an already busy airport, it might not have sufficient infrastructure to accommodate them all.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Then, arching her back to accommodate the lumpy pack—it would be a disaster should her water gourd be crushed—she slid through.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

These days, she fields daily requests from brides seeking accelerated turnarounds—which Harris accommodates when she can.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 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

“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

The internet has long accommodated users who wanted to hide their real name behind a clever username or a throwaway account.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

It has accommodated countless graduations, and Long Beach City College and numerous area high schools will have to relocate their commencement ceremonies during construction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

By December 2024, about 20,000 people were being accommodated by it.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

It restores Douglass to a living continuum of dissent rather than isolating him as an exceptional voice, and it underscores how fully the Fourth of July once accommodated, even invited, fierce moral criticism from within.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Meanwhile a delegation of Ministry officials, including the Minister of Magic himself, was being accommodated within the castle.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Things that are hearty and comforting, endlessly accommodating and somehow greater than the sum of their decidedly humble parts.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

And his fiery temper, igniting at every possible moment with his older and more accommodating bandmates, turns this snapshot of history into genuine tragedy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Scottish Ballet said it already faced a £200,000 bill for accommodating its 150 performers and crew and the levy put it under further strain.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tech suppliers historically have been accommodating toward customers at times of flagging demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

I explained how as a lawyer I was often forced to choose between compliance with the law and accommodating my conscience.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• contain
• entertain
• hold
• rent
• shelter
• take in
• welcome