'acculturize' originates from the combination of 'acculture' and the suffix '-ize', where 'acculture' is derived from 'culture' meaning 'the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group'.

'acculture' transformed into 'acculturize' by adding the suffix '-ize', which is used to form verbs meaning 'to cause to become'.

Initially, it meant 'to adapt to a culture', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.