adaptation
the act of adapting.
the state of being adapted; adjustment.
something produced by adapting: an adaptation of a play for television.
Biology.
any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of its parts that results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment.
a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment.
the ability of a species to survive in a particular ecological niche, especially because of alterations of form or behavior brought about through natural selection.
Physiology. the decrease in response of sensory receptor organs, as those of vision, touch, temperature, olfaction, audition, and pain, to changed, constantly applied, environmental conditions.
Ophthalmology. the regulating by the pupil of the quantity of light entering the eye.
Also a·dap·tion [uh-dap-shuhn]. /əˈdæp ʃən/. Sociology. a slow, usually unconscious modification of individual and social activity in adjustment to cultural surroundings.
Origin of adaptation
1Other words from adaptation
- ad·ap·ta·tion·al, adjective
- ad·ap·ta·tion·al·ly, adverb
- coun·ter·ad·ap·ta·tion, noun
- in·ter·a·dap·tion, noun
- mis·ad·ap·ta·tion, noun
- non·ad·ap·ta·tion, noun
- non·ad·ap·ta·tion·al, adjective
- re·ad·ap·ta·tion, noun
Words Nearby adaptation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use adaptation in a sentence
So it’s not exactly an adaptation of a book you’ve seen at the library — instead, it’s an imagining of one of Japan’s most famous stories.
My generation must help Gen Z learn to push on the levers of technical, political, cultural, and economic change, and to draw on existential tools or “deep adaptation” in times of crisis.
Generation Z is ‘traumatized’ by climate change—and they’re the key to fighting it | matthewheimer | August 19, 2020 | FortuneThere’s a lack of public understanding and support for undertaking coastal adaptation actions, Ehrlers said.
When Beyoncé releases music, it’s an event — even when it’s a soundtrack to a live-action adaptation of an animated film.
He listed ways he was hoping the school districts experimented with outdoor spaces and other adaptations to be able to serve students in person.
Morning Report: The Criminal Justice World Changed After This Police Shooting | Voice of San Diego | July 30, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
A season of Game of Thrones tells its story over ten hours, and only a video game adaptation could match or exceed that.
‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat | Alec Kubas-Meyer | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn all fairness, too, Marshall has at the ready pretty rational reasons for almost every change he made in this adaptation.
This Jack Clayton adaptation of The Turn of the Screw is one of the rare pictures that does justice to Henry James.
Later, Tarantino would help finance the 1996 movie Curdled, a feature-length adaptation of the short.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary | Marlow Stern | October 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI asked the Smith brothers to do an adaptation and they did an adaptation of The Death of Jim Loney, another book by Jim Welch.
Sherman Alexie on His New Film, the Redskins, and Why It's OK to Laugh at His Work | William O’Connor | August 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDramatic adaptation in expressing various characters, emotions, and motives is potentially very great.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickEvery new style of dress will admit of adaptation to individual cases, thus producing a pleasing, as well as fashionable effect.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyMan was about to be subjected to an extraordinary strain, which he could only meet by an extraordinary adaptation.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles MorrisAn adaptation of the electrol device that had appeared on the most modern ships, Harkness knew how to handle it.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931 | VariousM. Gevaert regards the adaptation of the scheme to the other keys as the result of a gradual process of extension.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music | David Binning Monro
British Dictionary definitions for adaptation
/ (ˌædəpˈteɪʃən, ˌædæp-) /
the act or process of adapting or the state of being adapted; adjustment
something that is produced by adapting something else
something that is changed or modified to suit new conditions or needs
biology an inherited or acquired modification in organisms that makes them better suited to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
physiol the decreased response of a sense organ to a repeated or sustained stimulus
psychol (in learning theory) the weakening of a response to a stimulus with repeated presentation of the stimulus without reinforcement; applied mainly to innate responses
social welfare alteration to a dwelling to make it suitable for a disabled person, as by replacing steps with ramps
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for adaptation
[ ăd′ăp-tā′shən ]
A change in structure, function, or behavior by which a species or individual improves its chance of survival in a specific environment. Adaptations develop as the result of natural selection operating on random genetic variations that are capable of being passed from one generation to the next. Variations that prove advantageous will tend to spread throughout the population.
a closer look
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for adaptation
The changes made by living systems in response to their environment. Heavy fur, for example, is one adaptation to a cold climate.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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