habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwāt 

ha-,

-chü-ˌāt

habituated; habituating

transitive verb

1

: to make used to something : accustom

2

: frequent sense 1

intransitive verb

1

: to cause habituation

2

: to undergo habituation

habituate to a stimulus

Synonyms

• affect
• frequent
• hang (at)
• haunt
• resort (to)
• visit

Examples of habituate in a Sentence

the sort of lounge lizard known to habituate bars and nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

In some cases, DEEP said loud noises are not effective at scaring away bears, especially ones that have already been habituated. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2025

These products habituate parents and babies to see surveillance as equivalent to care. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 15 May 2025

By then, bureaucratic America—corporate and government alike—was well habituated to buying its computers from IBM. —IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2017

Companies like Tencent have set a precedent by habituating vast segments of the population to daily AI interactions. —Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for habituate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwāt 

ha-

habituated; habituating

: to make used to something

habituation

-ˌbich-ə-ˈwā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwāt, ha- 

habituated; habituating

transitive verb

: to cause habituation in

intransitive verb

1

: to cause habituation

marijuana may be habituating

2

: to undergo habituation

habituate to a stimulus