accustom

verb

ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkə-stəm 

accustomed; accustoming; accustoms

transitive verb

: to make familiar with something through use or experience

accustomation

ə-ˌkə-stə-ˈmā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of accustom

• introduce
• familiarize
• educate
• orient

Examples of accustom in a Sentence

the task of accustoming new recruits to shipboard life

Recent Examples on the Web

Cubans have long been accustomed to shopping with wads of cash stuffed into bags after compounding bouts of soaring inflation. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Bill Murray, for one, is accustomed to complex if not disappointing sporting dynamics. —Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

In a world of fractured attention spans, many public figures are accustomed to mining their personal dramas to stay at the top of their audience’s feeds. —Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026

This is new for Nebraska football, accustomed to cooking up spring and summer wins. —Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acustomen "to habituate (reflexive or intransitive)," borrowed from Anglo-French acustumer, acostumer, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + -customer, costomer, verbal derivative of custume custom entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing accustom

• accustom oneself to

Rhymes for accustom

• custom
• frustum

Kids Definition

accustom

verb

ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkəs-təm 

: to make familiar