adapt
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(often foll by to) to adjust (someone or something, esp oneself) to different conditions, a new environment, etc
-
(tr) to fit, change, or modify to suit a new or different purpose
to adapt a play for use in schools
Related Words
See adjust.
Other Word Forms
- adaptability noun
- adaptable adjective
- adaptedness noun
- adaptive adjective
- misadapt verb
- nonadapting adjective
- readapt verb (used with object)
- unadapted adjective
- well-adapted adjective
Etymology
Origin of adapt
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin adaptāre “to fit, adjust,” perhaps via French adapter; ad-, apt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dealers loved the Chrysler 300, which had a good amount of Mercedes hardware under the skin, but the brand struggled to adapt to a world where SUVs began to rule American roads.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Such treatments could adapt to each patient's unique biology, improving effectiveness while reducing side effects.
From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026
The rise of AI is raising questions about whether to adapt or eliminate it.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
The challenge now for the likes of Huntington, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman is to adapt to the challenge from the well-funded startups.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
The Soviet women who fought in uniform in the Great Patriotic War had to struggle to adapt to clothes made for men.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
