Accommodate vs. Cater — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 30, 2024
Accommodate generally means to provide suitable space or conditions for someone or something, whereas cater involves providing what is needed or desired, especially in terms of food or service.
Difference Between Accommodate and Cater
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Key Differences
Accommodate refers to making suitable adjustments or providing space to meet needs or requirements, such as adjusting a room to fit more guests. Whereas, cater specifically involves arranging services or provisions to suit particular needs or tastes, like preparing meals for a wedding.
Accommodation often pertains to altering physical spaces or conditions to make them more accessible or comfortable, like adding wheelchair ramps to buildings. On the other hand, catering is usually associated with food and drink, focusing on supplying meals and beverages tailored to an event's requirements.
In a broader sense, to accommodate can also mean to adapt or make allowances for someone’s preferences or disabilities in various scenarios, not just physical spaces. Whereas catering extends beyond food, encompassing any type of service provided to meet the demands of a specific group or occasion.
The verb accommodate includes providing lodging or housing, particularly in contexts like hotels or housing arrangements. Cater, conversely, often appears in contexts related to service industries, such as catering companies that provide food services for events.
In corporate environments, accommodate might involve adjusting policies or environments to suit the diverse needs of employees. In contrast, corporate catering services might be employed to handle meal arrangements for meetings or company events, focusing on convenience and preferences.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To make fit, suitable, or congruous
To provide food and drink at social events
Usage Context
Adapting environments, policies, conditions
Service industry, especially food and events
Associated Services
Housing, accessibility adjustments
Food services, event planning
Primary Focus
Suitability and adjustment
Provision and preparation
Common Phrases
"accommodate someone's needs", "accommodate changes"
"cater to preferences", "cater an event"
Compare with Definitions
Accommodate
To provide lodging or a place to stay.
The hotel accommodates tourists year-round.
Cater
To supply what is required or desired.
This service caters exclusively to high-end clients.
Accommodate
To provide room or space for.
The hall can accommodate up to 200 guests.
Cater
To provide food and service for an event.
We hired a company to cater our wedding reception.
Accommodate
To make adjustments to meet specific needs.
Schools must accommodate students with disabilities.
Cater
To take special care of someone's needs.
The school caters to children with learning disabilities.
Accommodate
To fit in or harmonize with.
The new policies were designed to accommodate recent changes in law.
Cater
To aim to satisfy a particular need or interest.
The seminar caters to professionals looking to advance their careers.
Accommodate
To hold without crowding or inconvenience.
The parking lot can accommodate all employees’ vehicles.
Cater
To provide what someone desires or needs.
The new restaurant caters to both vegetarians and vegans.
Accommodate
(of a building or other area) provide lodging or sufficient space for
The cottages accommodate up to six people
Cater
The name 'Cater' was taken on by someone who worked as a caterer. The surname Cater was official name, "the cater", derived from the Old French ale catour, a little meaning a buyer of groceries for the gentleman's house.
Accommodate
Fit in with the wishes or needs of
Any language must accommodate new concepts
Cater
To provide food or entertainment.
Accommodate
To have enough space for
A parking lot big enough to accommodate buses.
Cater
To be particularly attentive or solicitous; minister
The nurses catered to my every need. The legislation catered to various special interest groups.
Accommodate
To provide lodging for
We looked for a hotel to accommodate the extra guests.
Cater
To provide food service for
A business that caters banquets and weddings.
Accommodate
To take into consideration or make adjustments for; allow for
An economic proposal that accommodates the interests of senior citizens.
Cater
To attend to the wants or needs of.
Accommodate
To do a favor or service for; oblige.
Cater
To provide, particularly:
Accommodate
To provide for; supply with something needed
Accommodated the expedition with supplies.
Cater
(ambitransitive) To provide with food, especially for a special occasion as a professional service.
I catered for her bat mitzvah.
His company catered our wedding.
Accommodate
To make suitable; adapt or adjust
Accommodated herself to her new surroundings.
Cater
To provide anything required or desired, often (pejorative) to pander.
I always wanted someone to cater to my every whim.
Accommodate
To adapt oneself; become adjusted
It is never easy to accommodate to social change.
Cater
To place, set, move, or cut diagonally or rhomboidally.
Accommodate
(Physiology) To become adjusted, as the eye to focusing on objects at a distance.
Cater
(obsolete) acater: an officer who purchased cates (food supplies) for the steward of a large household or estate.
Accommodate
To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt.
To accommodate ourselves to circumstances
Cater
(obsolete) caterer: any provider of food.
Accommodate
(transitive) To cause to come to agreement; to bring about harmony; to reconcile.
To accommodate differences
Cater
Syn of purveyor: any provider of anything.
Accommodate
(transitive) To provide housing for.
To accommodate an old friend for a week
Cater
Four.
Accommodate
To provide sufficient space for
Cater
The four of cards or dice.
Accommodate
(transitive) To provide with something desired, needed, or convenient.
To accommodate a friend with a loan
Cater
(music) A method of ringing nine bells in four pairs with a ninth tenor bell.
Accommodate
(transitive) To do a favor or service for; to oblige.
Cater
Diagonally.
Accommodate
(transitive) To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.
To accommodate prophecy to events
Cater
A provider; a purveyor; a caterer.
Accommodate
(transitive) To give consideration to; to allow for.
Cater
The four of cards or dice.
Accommodate
(transitive) To contain comfortably; to have space for.
This venue accommodates three hundred people.
Cater
To provide food; to buy, procure, or prepare provisions.
[He] providently caters for the sparrow.
Accommodate
To adapt oneself; to be conformable or adapted; become adjusted.
Cater
By extension: To supply what is needed or desired, at theatrical or musical entertainments; - followed by for or to.
Accommodate
To change focal length in order to focus at a different distance.
Cater
To cut diagonally.
Accommodate
(obsolete) Suitable; fit; adapted; as, means accommodate to end.
Cater
Provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance;
The hostess provided lunch for all the guests
Accommodate
To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt; to conform; as, to accommodate ourselves to circumstances.
Cater
Supply food ready to eat; for parties and banquets
Accommodate
To bring into agreement or harmony; to reconcile; to compose; to adjust; to settle; as, to accommodate differences, a dispute, etc.
Accommodate
To furnish with something desired, needed, or convenient; to favor; to oblige; as, to accommodate a friend with a loan or with lodgings.
Accommodate
To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.; as, to accommodate prophecy to events.
Accommodate
To adapt one's self; to be conformable or adapted.
Accommodate
Suitable; fit; adapted; as, means accommodate to end.
Accommodate
Be agreeable or acceptable to;
This suits my needs
Accommodate
Make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose;
Adapt our native cuisine to the available food resources of the new country
Accommodate
Provide with something desired or needed;
Can you accommodate me with a rental car?
Accommodate
Have room for; hold without crowding;
This hotel can accommodate 250 guests
The theater admits 300 people
The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people
Accommodate
Provide housing for;
We are lodging three foreign students this semester
Accommodate
Provide a service or favor for someone;
We had to oblige him
Accommodate
Make compatible with;
The scientists had to accommodate the new results with the existing theories
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to accommodate someone at a hotel?
To provide them with a room or place to stay.
Can a business cater to every customer’s needs?
It's challenging, but businesses strive to cater to as many customer needs as possible to maximize satisfaction.
What is involved in catering a corporate event?
Providing food, organizing service, and managing dietary preferences.
What are examples of accommodations in a workplace?
Ergonomic workstations, flexible scheduling, and language interpretation services.
How do hotels accommodate guests with disabilities?
Hotels accommodate guests with disabilities by offering accessible rooms, facilities, and services such as ramps, lifts, and hearing-impaired equipment.
Can a small business effectively cater to a niche market?
Yes, small businesses often find success by effectively catering to niche markets with specialized products or services.
Is it expensive to accommodate special requests in a restaurant?
It can be, depending on the nature of the requests and the resources required to fulfill them.
How do companies accommodate changes in the workplace?
Companies adapt by revising policies, offering training, or modifying work environments.
How do catering services accommodate dietary restrictions?
Catering services accommodate dietary restrictions by offering a variety of food options that exclude common allergens and by preparing special meals as requested.
What types of events typically require catering services?
Catering services are commonly used for weddings, corporate events, parties, and conferences.
How does accommodating different learning styles impact educational outcomes?
Accommodating different learning styles can improve educational outcomes by ensuring all students have the opportunity to learn in ways that suit them best.
What does it mean to cater to someone's preferences in a business setting?
It means to provide services or products that meet or exceed an individual's specific desires or expectations.
How can public transportation be accommodated for the elderly?
Public transportation can be accommodated for the elderly by ensuring vehicles are accessible, providing priority seating, and offering reduced fares.
What are the challenges of catering for large events?
Challenges include managing large volumes of food, coordinating logistics, handling last-minute changes, and ensuring food safety.
How can schools accommodate students with severe allergies?
Schools can create allergy-aware environments, establish clear policies on allergen management, and ensure all staff are trained on emergency response.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
