accustom
C1Semi-formal, literary. More common in written than spoken English.
Definition
Meaning
To make someone or something familiar with something new through repeated exposure or experience.
To cause someone to accept something as normal or usual, often by making it a regular practice. Can also imply becoming adapted to something through habit.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used with the preposition 'to' (accustom someone/oneself to something). It is a transitive verb that typically requires a direct object (the person/entity becoming accustomed) and a complement (what they are becoming accustomed to). It implies a gradual, deliberate process.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Slightly more frequent in British English, but the pattern is the same. The spelling is identical.
Connotations
Neutral. Slightly formal/literary in both varieties.
Frequency
More common in written British English than American English. In American English, 'get used to' is overwhelmingly preferred in speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] accustom [NP] to [NP/V-ing][NP] accustom [oneself] to [NP/V-ing][NP] be/become/get accustomed to [NP/V-ing]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none directly, but related to] 'an acquired taste'”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contexts of onboarding or adapting to new systems: 'We need to accustom the team to the new software.'
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, or biology to describe adaptation: 'The subjects were accustomed to the experimental conditions.'
Everyday
Rare in casual speech; 'get used to' is preferred: 'It took me weeks to accustom myself to the early starts.'
Technical
Used in animal training, medical rehabilitation, or user interface design to denote systematic habituation.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- You must accustom yourself to driving on the left.
- The trainer will accustom the horse to the bridle gradually.
- It's important to accustom students to referencing their sources.
American English
- Parents should accustom children to a regular bedtime.
- The program is designed to accustom users to the new interface.
- Soldiers are accustomed to long marches during basic training.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form. 'Accustomedly' is obsolete and not used.]
American English
- [No standard adverb form. 'Accustomedly' is obsolete and not used.]
adjective
British English
- She gave him her accustomed seat by the window.
- He replied with his accustomed politeness.
- The manager took her accustomed place at the head of the table.
American English
- The team performed with its accustomed efficiency.
- He arrived at his accustomed time of ten o'clock.
- She felt a wave of her accustomed anxiety before the flight.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- It took time to accustom my eyes to the dark.
- The puppies are slowly being accustomed to household noises.
- You'll soon become accustomed to our way of working here.
- Travellers should accustom themselves to local customs to avoid offence.
- The therapy aims to accustom patients to managing their pain without medication.
- Having been accustomed to a warm climate, he found the winter unbearable.
- The diplomat was accustomed to navigating complex political landscapes.
- One must accustom oneself to reading dense academic texts for this course.
- Her mind, accustomed to rapid analysis, quickly identified the flaw in the argument.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of CUSTOM (a habitual practice). To ACCUSTOM is to bring someone INTO (ac-) a new CUSTOM or habit.
Conceptual Metaphor
HABIT IS A PATH/WORN TRACK. Accustoming someone is like guiding them onto a new, frequently traveled mental or behavioral path.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from 'приучить' in all contexts; 'accustom' is more formal. For pets/animals, 'train' is often better. For 'привыкнуть', use 'get/become used to' or 'get/become accustomed to'.
- Do not confuse with 'custom' (обычай) or 'customer' (клиент).
Common Mistakes
- Using without 'to': *'I accustomed the cold.' (Correct: 'I accustomed myself to the cold.')
- Using it intransitively: *'She accustomed quickly.' (Correct: 'She became accustomed quickly.')
- Confusing 'accustom' (verb, process) with 'accustomed' (adjective, state).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'accustom' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered semi-formal and is more common in written English. In everyday speech, phrases like 'get used to' or 'become familiar with' are far more frequent.
They are close synonyms. 'Habituate' can sound more technical or psychological, often implying an automatic, sometimes unconscious, response to repeated stimuli. 'Accustom' can involve a more conscious, deliberate process of adaptation.
No, it is a transitive verb and requires a direct object (the person or thing being made familiar). The reflexive form 'accustom oneself' is very common when the subject is also the object of the action.
The most common error is omitting the required preposition 'to', as in *'I accustomed the climate.' The correct form is 'I accustomed myself to the climate' or 'I became accustomed to the climate.'