acclimate

verb

ac·​cli·​mate ˈa-klə-ˌmāt How to pronounce acclimate (audio)
ə-ˈklī-mət,
-ˌmāt How to pronounce acclimate (audio)
acclimated; acclimating

transitive verb

: to adapt (someone) to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation
They had to acclimate themselves to an urban lifestyle.
slowly becoming acclimated to a new environment

intransitive verb

: to adjust or adapt to a new temperature, climate, environment, or situation : to become acclimated
climbers gradually acclimating to the high altitude

Examples of acclimate in a Sentence

I acclimated myself to the hot weather. You might need to acclimate your plants to bright sunlight gradually. We took a few days to get acclimated to our new teacher.
Recent Examples on the Web Bethancourt, 32, has quickly gotten acclimated with the Marlins’ pitchers. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 That didn't look so hot, but once we got acclimated to it, KK became the engine that was driving everything because of her quickness, her speed. Michael Whitlow, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2024 This is important because your scope’s lenses and/or mirrors must acclimate to the lower temperatures. Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024 Advertisement Duffy intends to be well acclimated to his new surroundings by then. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023 Your body will need time to acclimate to this new form of exercise. Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Included in the package is a one-hour training session to acclimate the athletic staff with the Virtual Announcer software. The Indianapolis Star, 28 Jan. 2024 Animals should be able to acclimate to decreasing temperatures as the seasons transition from fall to winter, but in cases of sudden and extreme weather changes, Sapp says owners may need to modify their animals' living conditions. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2024 Baltimore’s first playoff game also won’t take place until the divisional round, either Jan. 20 or 21, which gives Cook time to get acclimated to the offense. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acclimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French acclimater, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + climat "climate" (going back to Old French) — more at climate

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of acclimate was in 1792

Dictionary Entries Near acclimate

Cite this Entry

“Acclimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acclimate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

acclimate

verb
ac·​cli·​mate ˈak-lə-ˌmāt How to pronounce acclimate (audio) ə-ˈklī-mət How to pronounce acclimate (audio)
-ˌmāt
acclimated; acclimating
: to adapt to a new climate, environment, or situation
acclimation
ˌak-lə-ˈmā-shən
ˌak-ˌlī-
noun

Medical Definition

acclimate

verb
acclimated; acclimating

More from Merriam-Webster on acclimate

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