habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwāt 

ha-,

-chü-ˌāt

habituated; habituating

transitive verb

1

: to make used to something : accustom

2

: frequent sense 1

intransitive verb

1

: to cause habituation

2

: to undergo habituation

habituate to a stimulus

Synonyms

• affect
• frequent
• hang (at)
• haunt
• resort (to)
• visit

Examples of habituate in a Sentence

the sort of lounge lizard known to habituate bars and nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

The experiment was conducted in eight meters of open water at a research site in the Mediterranean Sea where the local wild fish are habituated to the presence of divers. —Grrlscientist, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Human beings habituate to anything that stays the same or is patterned. —Matt Abrahams, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025

People were habituated to constant surveillance and capricious punishments. —Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Delaney Prince, the campground host at Pine City describes Victor as calm, and totally habituated to the presence of humans and their food. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 29 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for habituate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwāt 

ha-

habituated; habituating

: to make used to something

habituation

-ˌbich-ə-ˈwā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

habituate

verb

ha·​bit·​u·​ate hə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwāt, ha- 

habituated; habituating

transitive verb

: to cause habituation in

intransitive verb

1

: to cause habituation

marijuana may be habituating

2

: to undergo habituation

habituate to a stimulus