What does accommodating mean?
Accommodating is an adjective describing someone who is willing to help, oblige, or adapt to the wishes and needs of others. An accommodating host, colleague, or official goes out of their way to make things easier for those around them, whether by offering flexibility, providing assistance, or simply being agreeable. The word can also apply to things rather than people: an accommodating schedule, venue, or policy is one that has been arranged to suit people's convenience. Its connotations are overwhelmingly positive, suggesting warmth, generosity, and a cooperative spirit, though occasionally an accommodating nature may carry a hint of excessive compliance — someone so eager to please that they struggle to say no. Derived from the Latin accommodare, meaning 'to make fit' or 'to adapt', the word entered English in the early modern period alongside its parent verb accommodate. It remains a staple of everyday English, valued precisely because it captures a quality of character that most people admire and few find easy to sustain.
Willing to fit in with the wishes or needs of others; helpful and obliging.
"Our landlord was very accommodating about letting us repaint the flat."
Most commonly applied to people, but also used of arrangements, policies, or places that are flexible or convenient.
(Of a thing or arrangement) conveniently adapted or adaptable to people's requirements.
"The airline was accommodating when we needed to change our flight dates."
The word 'accommodating' famously trips people up because 'accommodate' is one of the most misspelled words in English — it's the only common word with a double 'c' AND a double 'm'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accommodating
Accommodating derives from the Latin verb accommodare, formed from ad- ('towards') + commodare ('to make fit, to suit'), itself from commodus ('suitable, convenient'). The verb accommodate entered English in the early 16th century, with the adjective accommodating following shortly after. The same Latin root gives English related words such as commode, commodious, and commodity, all carrying the core idea of fitness or convenience.
Related word forms
How accommodating is actually used
Generally positive in connotation, though in some contexts an accommodating person may be seen as overly yielding or lacking firmness. Common in both formal and informal registers.
Easily confused with accommodating
Accommodative is a rarer, more technical adjective (often used of eyes or policies) meaning able to adapt, while accommodating usually describes a person's willingness to oblige others.