What does acclimatising mean?
Acclimatising means becoming accustomed to a new environment or set of conditions, or helping oneself or others to do so. It describes a gradual process rather than a sudden change: someone may be acclimatising to a new city, workplace, school, climate, altitude, or cultural setting. The word is widely used in British English in its -ising form, while US English usually spells it acclimatizing. Although the basic meaning is neutral, acclimatising can suggest deliberate adjustment and growing familiarity, often with an implication that the original surroundings no longer feel strange or uncomfortable. It is especially useful when discussing travel, migration, education, workplace induction, and the ways people adapt to unfamiliar physical or social conditions. The related noun, acclimatisation, names the process itself. The verb can be used intransitively, as in “She is acclimatising to the heat,” or transitively, as in “The programme acclimatises new employees to the company’s working practices.”
verbAcclimatising is becoming accustomed to new surroundings, conditions, or circumstances, or causing oneself or others to become accustomed to them.
- To become accustomed to new surroundings, conditions, or circumstances.
- To cause oneself or someone else to become accustomed to new conditions.
"The new students are acclimatising to life on campus."
"The children are acclimatising to the school playground after the long journey."
"The course is designed to help international visitors acclimatise to working in the local team."
Acclimatising is the quiet art of making a new place feel familiar, whether that means adjusting to altitude, a new climate, or the unfamiliar rhythm of everyday life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does acclimatising come from?
The English verb acclimatise was borrowed into English from French acclimater in the eighteenth century. Its ultimate source is Latin clima, a word associated with Greek klima, originally referring to an inclination or slope and later to the character of a region. The modern English forms developed with British -ise and American -ize spellings, while the noun acclimatisation records the same process in abstract form.
Related word forms
How acclimatising is actually used
The -ising form is standard in British English; US English generally uses acclimatizing. The word is formal or neutral and is especially common in contexts involving relocation, travel, education, workplaces, and environmental or physiological adjustment.
Easily confused with acclimatising
Acclimatising is the usual British spelling, with -s-, whereas acclimatizing is the standard US spelling, with -z-.