Meaning & use
accommodate
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To provide someone with a place to stay, live, or sleep for a short or long period.
Grammar: Takes an object: accommodate guests; not usually accommodate to guests.
Patterns
- accommodate someone
- accommodate someone in something
- accommodate someone for a period
The hotel can accommodate families in connecting rooms.
We were accommodated in a small guesthouse near the lake.
The dormitory accommodates first-year students during orientation week.
verbtransitive
To change or arrange something so it fits a need, request, rule, or new situation.
Grammar: Takes an object and often to/for: accommodate a request; accommodate the plan to local rules.
Patterns
- accommodate a request
- accommodate something to something
- accommodate someone’s needs
- accommodate a change
The store accommodated my request for a later delivery time.
We adjusted the schedule to accommodate the speaker’s flight delay.
The policy was changed to accommodate employees with caring responsibilities.
verbtransitive
To have enough space or capacity to hold a stated number of people or things.
Grammar: Takes a number or amount as object: seats 300; do not add for after the number.
Patterns
- accommodate a number of people
- accommodate up to someone
- accommodate something
The auditorium accommodates up to 450 people.
This parking lot accommodates about sixty vehicles.
The elevator can accommodate twelve passengers safely.
Word forms
| third person singular | accommodates |
|---|---|
| past tense | accommodated |
| past participle | accommodated |
| -ing form | accommodating |
Common combinations
- accommodate guests
- The cabin can accommodate guests all year round.
- accommodate a request
- She accommodated my request for a quieter table.
- accommodate someone with something
- They accommodated us with an extra blanket.
- accommodate up to a number
- The venue accommodates up to 200 visitors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- house
- Means give someone a place to live or stay; it is narrower than accommodate, which can also mean adjust.
- hold
- Best for capacity: a room holds people; accommodate can mean capacity or adjustment.
- adapt
- Means change to fit, but adapt does not usually mean provide lodging.
- oblige
- Means do a favor or meet a request, often smaller and less formal than accommodate.
Opposites
Word family
- accommodation noun
- A place to stay or an adjustment made to meet needs.
- accommodating adjective
- Willing to help or adapt to other people.
- accommodative adjective
- Formal: tending to adapt or reconcile differences.
Commonly confused: accommodate or accomodate? accommodate or adapt?
accommodate vs accomodate
A common misspelling; remember two Cs and two Ms.
accommodate vs adapt
Adapt means change to fit; accommodate can mean adapt, but also provide space or lodging.
Practice
Which sentence uses accommodate correctly for capacity?
Choose one answer.
For capacity, accommodate takes the number directly: accommodate 200 guests. Adding to suggests adapting, and with suggests providing someone with something, so those patterns do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “accommodate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.