Meaning & use
acclimation
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableAmerican
The process of becoming used to a new climate, place or set of conditions.
Grammar: Uncountable: acclimation takes time, often followed by to.
Patterns
- acclimation to something
Hikers need a few days of acclimation before climbing above 3,000 meters.
The new students' acclimation to city life was quick.
Acclimation to the heat took the workers about a week.
noununcountablebiology
In biology, a short-term physical adjustment of an organism to a change in its environment, such as temperature.
Grammar: Uncountable and technical; usually refers to experimental conditions.
The fish showed acclimation to colder water within days.
Plant acclimation to low light was measured in the lab.
Common combinations
- period of acclimation
- A short period of acclimation is needed at altitude.
- acclimation to the heat
- Acclimation to the heat protected the runners.
- gradual acclimation
- Gradual acclimation avoids stress for new fish.
- allow time for acclimation
- Allow time for acclimation before the exam.
Synonyms and how they differ
- acclimatization
- Acclimatization is the usual British form and also covers longer, natural adjustment.
- adjustment
- Adjustment is broader and can apply to any change, while acclimation is tied to a new environment.
- adaptation
- Adaptation often means a lasting change over generations, while acclimation is a temporary one within a single life.
Word family
- acclimate verb
- to become or make used to new conditions
- acclimatize verb
- the British form of acclimate
- acclimatization noun
- the British form of acclimation
Commonly confused: acclimation or acclamation?
acclimation vs acclamation
Acclamation is loud praise, but acclimation is adjusting to new conditions.
Practice
Mountaineers need several days of ______ to the thin air before attempting the summit.
Choose one answer.
Acclimation is adjusting to new conditions such as altitude. Acclamation is praise, so it does not fit the thin air context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “acclimation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.