Unacclimatized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not having adapted or become accustomed to a new environment or conditions; lacking familiarity with a specific climate or setting; characterizing someone who is still adjusting to a different atmospheric or social context
2. Remaining unadapted to a foreign climate or surroundings; indicating a state of being ill-suited to new environmental conditions; denoting individuals who have yet to acclimate to their new situation
3. Existing in a condition of unfamiliarity with local climate or social norms; being in a state of non-adjustment to changing surroundings; portraying those who are still in the process of adapting to different environmental factors

Etymology: "Unacclimatized" is simply the English prefix "un-" ("not") attached to "acclimatized," the past-participle form of "acclimatize," which means to adapt to a new climate or set of conditions. The base verb itself was formed in English from "acclimate," an older word that came from the French "acclimater," meaning to make something take root in a new country or climate. That French verb was built from "à" ("to") and "climat" ("climate"), the same Greek-derived root that gives us "climate" itself. Because "acclimatize" is the more common form in British English and "acclimate" in American usage, the adjective appears in both varieties with the same negating prefix. The pattern is a straightforward one, with no change in meaning beyond the simple negation: a person or organism described as unacclimatized has not yet adjusted to its surroundings.

Synonyms: unadapted