accustomed

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adjective ac·cus·tomed \ ə-ˈkəs-təmd \

Definition of accustomed

1 :often used or practiced :customary

her accustomed cheerfulness

2 :adapted to existing conditions

eyes accustomed to the dark

3 :being in the habit or custom

a team accustomed to winning

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accustomedness

play \-təm(d)-nəs\ noun

See accustomed defined for English-language learners

See accustomed defined for kids

Examples of accustomed in a Sentence

She arrived early enough to get her accustomed seat in the front row.
Josh felt uncomfortably full, as he was not accustomed to eating so much.

Recent Examples of accustomed from the Web

In countries such as Niger, the organizations theoretically responsible for policing migration have grown accustomed to accepting bribes from smugglers.

— kevin sieff, Washington Post, "Europe is trying to cut the flow of migrants from Africa. It won’t be easy.," 31 Aug. 2017
But moving Sue could jolt a public that has grown accustomed to that menacing face.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Move over, Sue. World's largest dinosaur taking center stage at Field Museum," 30 Aug. 2017
TOKYO — In earthquake-prone Japan, people have grown accustomed to seeing regular alerts on television and their cellphones advising them to seek cover or move inland in advance of a tsunami.

— motoko rich, New York Times, "Japan Wakes to a Text Message: Missile Approaching," 29 Aug. 2017
Prisons have become greenhouses where inmates grow accustomed to the type of behavior and associations that lead to recidivism.

— Philly.com, "Why private prisons everywhere need to be put out of business," 25 Aug. 2017
A reliance on imports from far flung places (the closest European capital, Dublin, is 1,500 kilometers away) means generations of Icelanders have grown accustomed to high prices.

— ragnhildur siguroardottir, Bloomberg.com, "Retail Giants Are Now Flocking to Iceland," 14 Aug. 2017
In the poisonous acid pools, the researchers found DNA from extremophile bacteria that had grown accustomed to the hostile environment.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Find Life In Earth's Most Barren Hellhole," 7 Aug. 2017
Bates said that Poway residents have become accustomed to the sight of Poway Road, but visitors see a beleaguered area with a lot of maintenance needed and not a lot of sights.

— emily sorensen, Pomerado News, "Traffic, building height concerns raised at Poway Road meeting," 3 Aug. 2017
There is no worse soulful pain and punishment than recognizing the evil of one's actions but not being able to withdraw — having become so accustomed to committing this sin (hergel aveirah).

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: The challenges of life in exile," 31 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accustomed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of accustomed

see accustom

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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accustomed Synonyms

Synonyms

given, habituated, used, wont

Antonyms

unaccustomed, unused, unwonted

Related Words

apt, inclined, liable, likely, prone; hardened, inured; experienced, practiced (or practised), seasoned, veteran; addicted, hooked

Near Antonyms

unapt, unlikely; averse, disinclined, opposed; inexperienced, new, unseasoned; disaccustomed, weaned

Synonym Discussion of accustomed

usual, customary, habitual, wonted, accustomed mean familiar through frequent or regular repetition. usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.