Meaning & use
habituation
A decrease in response to a stimulus that results from repeated or prolonged exposure to it.
See it in a sentence
Habituation explains why the loud clock eventually stopped bothering her at night.
Researchers studied habituation in infants by repeating the same sound over and over.
A note on using this word
In pharmacology, habituation can also describe becoming psychologically accustomed to a drug, requiring more of it for the same effect.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
The condition of becoming psychologically or physically accustomed to a drug, often requiring larger amounts to feel the same effect.
Doctors warned that habituation to the sleeping pills could develop within a few weeks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “habituation”, then compare your use with the examples above.