accustom

verb

ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkə-stəm How to pronounce accustom (audio)
accustomed; accustoming; accustoms

transitive verb

: to make familiar with something through use or experience
accustomation noun

Examples of accustom in a Sentence

the task of accustoming new recruits to shipboard life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Israeli military is accustomed to incredibly close cooperation with the US, which has been on full display repeatedly throughout the war. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 The Real Housewives‘ children weren’t the only cast members accustomed to the limelight, as Ava Dash, daughter to Damon Dash, also took part in the series. Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025 By the late nineteen-eighties, Soviet women were accustomed to coming home after a draining work day to run unmechanized households and hunt for vanishingly rare food and clothing for their children, who were primarily their responsibility. Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025 Doncic is set to bring the Lakers back to glory, somewhere LA has been accustomed to being for most of their existence. Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for accustom

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of accustom was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Accustom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accustom. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

accustom

verb
ac·​cus·​tom ə-ˈkəs-təm How to pronounce accustom (audio)
: to make familiar

More from Merriam-Webster on accustom

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