What does accustom mean?
Accustom is a formal English verb meaning to make someone or something used to a particular situation, environment, or activity through repeated exposure. It typically appears in the reflexive form 'accustom oneself to' — as in 'she accustomed herself to early mornings' — and it is more common in writing and formal speech than in casual conversation. Its past participle, 'accustomed', functions as an adjective and gives rise to the everyday phrase 'accustomed to', which is considerably more frequent than the base verb itself. The word carries no strong emotional connotation; it simply describes the process of adaptation or habituation, whether gradual or deliberate. Etymologically, accustom comes from Old French acostumer, built on 'custom', which traces back through Medieval Latin to the notion of habitual practice. Related words sharing this root include custom, customary, costume, and customer, all reflecting ideas of habit, practice, or use. Accustom remains useful for describing how people, animals, and even plants adjust to new circumstances over time.
verbTo make someone or something used to a situation or activity through repeated exposure or experience; to habituate.
- To make (someone or something) familiar with or used to something through repeated exposure.
"Living in the mountains gradually accustomed her to the thin air."
"It took months for the rescue dog to grow accustomed to city noises."
"Sailors were long accustomed to harsh conditions at sea."
The same Latin root that gave us 'custom' and even 'costume' gave us 'accustom' — literally to make something into your habit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accustom
Accustom derives from Old French acostumer, formed from the prefix a- plus costumer, itself based on 'costume'/'custom' from Medieval Latin consuetudinem, meaning habit or practice. It entered English in the late medieval period with the sense of making something habitual. The same root yields English cognates such as custom, customary, costume, and customer.
Word family
Usage notes
Accustom is somewhat formal and most often appears in the reflexive construction 'accustom oneself to' or in the derived adjective form 'accustomed to', which is far more common in everyday speech than the bare verb.
Don't confuse with
Costume is a set of clothing worn for a particular occasion or role, while accustom is a verb meaning to make used to something; they share a Latin root via French but differ entirely in meaning.