What does "adaptation" mean?
The process of adapting something or becoming adapted to a situation; adjustment, modification.
Adaptation
/ˌædæpˈteɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The process of adapting something or becoming adapted to a situation; adjustment, modification.
- Grammar: adaptation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: about face, about-face, abridgement, absolute music.
- Useful contrasts: assimilation, maladjustment.
- Usage evidence: This film is an adaptation of a novel.
How to use "adaptation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "adaptation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "adaptation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "adaptation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "adaptation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "adaptation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "about face" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "adaptation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The process of adapting something or becoming adapted to a situation; adjustment, modification. uncountable
"To sum up, the Furka-Oberalp Railway is a good example of the adaptation of the rack-and-pinion system to a main line over mountainous terrain."
- 2 (physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light) wordnet
- 3 A change that is made or undergone to suit a condition or environment. countable
"It's staggering because these adaptations to your schedule can dramatically change your life forever."
- 4 a written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form wordnet
- 5 The process of change that an organism undergoes to be better suited to its environment. uncountable
"ACCLIMATIZATION, the process of adaptation by which animals and plants are gradually rendered capable of surviving and flourishing in countries remote from their original habitats, or under meteorological conditions different from those which they have usually to endure, and at first injurious to them."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions) wordnet
- 7 An instance of an organism undergoing change, or the structure or behavior that is changed. countable
"This is the very method adopted, in the structure of the eye, to produce a perfect picture on the retina; it is an adaptation to the laws of light, and the property of color, in natural objects."
- 8 The process of adapting an artistic work from a different medium. uncountable
"Plays are rich and suitable sources for adaptation to film."
- 9 An artistic work that has been adapted from a different medium. countable
"Having partly a bibliographic value, and partly confirming the statements above as to Balzac's influence, the following details concerning theatrical adaptations of some of his novels may serve as a supplement to this chapter."
- 10 The means by which social groups adapt to different social and physical environments. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"This film is an adaptation of a novel."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "adaptation"?
Common synonyms include: about face, about-face, abridgement, absolute music, acclimating, acclimation.
How do you use "adaptation" in a sentence?
This film is an adaptation of a novel.
How do you pronounce "adaptation"?
Pronounced /ˌædæpˈteɪʃən/.
Etymology
From French adaptation, from Medieval Latin adaptātiō, from Latin adaptō (“I fit, adjust, modify; I adapt, fit or adjust to”); see adapt. Equivalent to adapt + -ation.