habituation

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noun ha·bit·u·a·tion \-ˌbi-chə-ˈwā-shən, -chü-ˈā-\

Definition of habituation

1 : the process of habituating : the state of being habituated
2a : tolerance to the effects of a drug acquired through continued useb : psychological dependence on a drug after a period of use — compare addiction
3 : decrease in responsiveness upon repeated exposure to a stimulus

Recent Examples of habituation from the Web

But through habituation, or paucity of talent, or lack of originality, most of us, writing, reach for the most workaday speech-tools, and in this way the world is made dull.

— george saunders, The New Yorker, "Grace Paley, the Saint of Seeing", 3 Mar. 2017
And they’d better get their habituation done in college, because the world beyond college will be far less willing to accommodate requests for trigger warnings and opt-outs.

— greg lukianoff, The Atlantic, "The Coddling of the American Mind", 20 Nov. 2015

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

15th Century

First Known Use of habituation

15th century

Medical Dictionary

habituation

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noun ha·bit·u·a·tion \-ˌbich-ə-ˈwā-shən\

Medical Definition of habituation

1: the act or process of making habitual or accustomed
2a: tolerance to the effects of a drug acquired through continued useb: psychological dependence on a drug after a period of use—compare addiction
3: a form of nonassociative learning characterized by a decrease in responsiveness upon repeated exposure to a stimulus—compare sensitization 3