Definition

1. Verb (transitive and intransitive):
   • To become accustomed to a new climate, environment, or situation; to adapt physiologically or psychologically.
   • To cause (someone or something) to become accustomed to new conditions.

Usage

The verb "acclimate" is used to describe the process of adjustment or adaptation. It can be used with or without a direct object. - Intransitive use (no direct object): The subject is the person or thing adapting. Example: It takes time to acclimate after moving to a new country. - Transitive use (with a direct object): The subject causes the direct object to adapt. Example: The zoo carefully acclimates new animals to their enclosures.

Examples

• Intransitive:
  • The seedlings need a week to acclimate to outdoor conditions before being planted.
  • After living in the tropics, she found it hard to acclimate to the cold winters.
• Transitive:
  • The training program is designed to acclimate new employees to the company culture.
  • Athletes often acclimate their bodies to high altitudes before a competition.

Advanced Usage

• "to acclimate oneself to [something]": A formal or emphatic way to express personal adaptation.
• Often used in scientific, medical, or formal contexts to describe biological or physiological adaptation.

Variants and Related Words

• Acclimation (noun): The process of acclimating; adaptation.
• Acclimatize/Acclimatise (verb): A synonym, more common in British English, with the same meaning as "acclimate."

Synonyms

• Adapt: To make suitable or adjust to new conditions.
• Adjust: To change or tailor to fit new circumstances.
• Accustom: To make familiar through use or habit.

Phrasal Verbs

• Acclimate to: This is the standard construction. The preposition "to" introduces the new environment or condition.

Verb

1. get used to a certain climate
   • They never acclimatized in Egypt