What does "accommodation" mean?

1. (an adjustment or compromise) a change or agreement that helps people with different needs work together. 2. (eye focus) the way your eye changes focus to see things clearly at different distances. 3. (communication style) changing how you speak to match the person you are talking to.

How do you use "accommodation"?

Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'with'. Commonly referred to as 'Communication Accommodation Theory' in linguistics.

accommodation

US //əˌkɑməˈdeɪʃən// UK //ɐkˌɒmədˈeɪʃən// ac·com·mo·da·tion

1 an adjustment or compromise (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

a change or agreement that helps people with different needs work together.

the process of adjusting or adapting to something; a settlement or compromise between conflicting parties.

Example

The company made an accommodation for the employee who needed to work from home.

Example

The treaty required a significant accommodation of the minority group's linguistic rights to ensure long-term regional stability.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'with'.
- conflict
- disagreement
2 eye focus (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Medicine

the way your eye changes focus to see things clearly at different distances.

the automatic adjustment of the lens of the eye to maintain a distinct image of an object as its distance varies.

Example

As people get older, the accommodation of their eyes becomes less effective.

Example

The patient exhibited a marked decrease in the power of accommodation, necessitating a prescription for bifocal lenses to assist with near-field tasks.
- focusing

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3 communication style (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Technical Science

changing how you speak to match the person you are talking to.

the process by which participants in a conversation adjust their accent, diction, or gestures to match those of their interlocutors.

Example

She used simpler words as an accommodation for the young children in the class.

Example

Linguistic accommodation often occurs subconsciously when a speaker adopts the regional dialect of their host environment to build social rapport.

Usage

Commonly referred to as 'Communication Accommodation Theory' in linguistics.
- convergence
- divergence

Origin

From French accommodation, from Latin accommodātiō (“adjustment, accommodation, compliance”), from accommodō (“adapt, put in order”). Superficially accommodate + -ion. The sense of "lodging" was first attested in 1600.