acclimate

verb

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some are planners who start their process before even stepping foot on a plane, while others simply play mind games with themselves to acclimate to the new time, and still others have figured out some pretty creative hacks that work for them. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2026 Based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a second-generation immigrant high schooler who is tasked with helping new exchange student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu) acclimate. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026 For a tree to rupture, the temperature drop has to be rapid enough that the tree can’t acclimate, causing its sap to freeze instantly. Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026 That’s a lot of new blood to get acclimated. Pete Sampson, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acclimate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acclimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acclimate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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