Habituations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The processes through which an organism becomes accustomed to a repeated stimulus, resulting in decreased response; the acts of familiarizing someone with certain conditions or environments; repeated exposures that lessen sensitivity or reaction
2. The gradual adaptation to repeated sensory input causing diminished reaction; the methods by which individuals are made used to specific situations or experiences; the continual conditioning leading to reduced responsiveness
3. The repeated experiences causing a decline in behavioral or physiological reactions; the practices of accustoming subjects or individuals to new stimuli or routines; the ongoing exposure that fosters tolerance or reduced sensitivity

Etymology: The plural of "habituation," which is the act or process of becoming accustomed to something. The noun traces back to Medieval Latin "habituātio," formed from "habituāre," meaning to make familiar or to bring into a settled condition. That verb comes from the Latin "habitus," a past participle of "habēre," "to have, hold, or be in a certain state," so the underlying idea is of something that has become a settled condition or way of being. Middle English borrowed the noun as "habituacioun," and it arrived in English through that Latin route. Its modern form was built within English by adding the suffix "-ion" to "habituate," which is itself a verb based on the same Latin stem. The word is therefore a close relative of "habit," which passed into English from the same "habitus" source, though through a different path.

Synonyms: acclimations, adaptations

Antonyms: sensitizations, difficulties