accommodate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to provide someone with a place to stay or sleep.
to provide lodging or sufficient space for living or staying. Transitive; typically takes a person or group as the direct object.
Simple“The hotel was able to accommodate the entire wedding party for the weekend.”
In context“The university has struggled to accommodate the sudden influx of international students within its existing dormitory infrastructure.”
PitfallThe hotel can accomodate 200 guests. The hotel can accommodate 200 guests.This word is frequently misspelled; remember it has a double 'c' and a double 'm'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to have enough room for a specific number of people or things.
to contain comfortably or have the capacity for a specific number or volume.
Simple“The new cinema screen can accommodate over five hundred people.”
In context“The refurbished conference hall is designed to accommodate large-scale exhibitions while maintaining strict fire safety regulations regarding capacity.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to change your plans or a system to help someone or deal with a new situation.
to modify a process, schedule, or environment to meet the needs or preferences of others.
Simple“The teacher changed the exam date to accommodate students who were traveling.”
In context“The software architecture was updated to accommodate the diverse requirements of the various regional branches.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
to take something into account when making a decision.
to give consideration to or allow for a specific factor or variable in a plan or theory.
Simple“The new law must accommodate the needs of small business owners.”
In context“Any viable economic model must accommodate the reality of fluctuating energy prices and shifting global trade alliances.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
the way your eye changes to focus on things at different distances.
the process by which the vertebrate eye changes optical power to maintain a clear image or focus on an object as its distance varies.
Simple“As we get older, it becomes harder for our eyes to accommodate quickly.”
In context“The patient's inability to accommodate effectively suggested a potential issue with the ciliary muscles rather than a simple refractive error.”
UsageThe verb is often used intransitively in this biological context.
Synonyms
“California , Colorado , Washington , Nevada and Utah require HOAs to accommodate drought-resistant landscaping.”
“Planned out by Nawanagar’s chief engineer and supervised by the maharaja’s personal secretary, the camp held a few dozen elongated barracks that could each accommodate about 30 children.”
1530s, borrowed from Latin accommodātus, perfect passive participle of accommodō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + commodō (“to provide, lend; to make fit, accommodate”), from con- + modus (“measure, proportion, limit”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix) (see English mode).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.