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adaptation

6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for adaptation, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The process of adjusting something, or of adjusting to a new situation.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

How to use adaptation

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

film adaptation adaptation to the environment undergo adaptation

Etymology

From French adaptation, from Latin adaptatio, built on adaptare, "to fit to."

Full origin of adaptation →

Frequently asked questions

What does “adaptation” mean?

The word “adaptation” means the process of adjusting something, or of adjusting to a new situation. In plain terms, a change made to fit new conditions, or a version of a story reworked for a new format.

How do you pronounce “adaptation”?

“Adaptation” is pronounced ad-uhp-TAY-shuhn (/ˌæd.æpˈteɪ.ʃən/ in IPA).

How do you use “adaptation” in a sentence?

Here is “adaptation” used in a sentence: “Adaptation to remote work took most teams several months.”

What part of speech is “adaptation”?

“Adaptation” is a noun.

Where does the word “adaptation” come from?

The word “adaptation” comes from Latin. From French adaptation, from Latin adaptatio, built on adaptare, "to fit to.".

Is “adaptation” a common word?

“Adaptation” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “adaptation” have?

“Adaptation” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the process of adjusting something, or of adjusting to a new situation.

What is the difference between adaptation and adaption?

They mean the same thing, but adaptation is the standard form in both British and American English, while adaption is a much less common variant. Careful writers and editors generally prefer adaptation, and it is the spelling used in scientific and literary contexts alike.

What is the difference between an adaptation and an adjustment?

An adjustment is usually a small change made to fine-tune something, while an adaptation is a fuller change that suits something or someone to new conditions. Adaptation also carries specialised senses that adjustment does not, such as a biological trait that aids survival or a story reworked for film or stage.

How is biological adaptation different from everyday adaptation?

In everyday use, adaptation is the process of adjusting to a new situation, such as adapting to a new job. In biology it is more specific: an adaptation is a trait or change that helps a living thing survive better in its environment, such as camouflage or thick fur in cold climates, and it typically arises over many generations rather than within one lifetime.

What is a film adaptation?

A film adaptation is a book, play, or other work that has been reshaped for the screen. The term signals that the movie is based on existing source material rather than an original screenplay, and the same idea applies to stage adaptations and television adaptations.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.