adaptability

[ uh-dap-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

1. the ability to adjust to different conditions or circumstances:

   Educational institutions are switching to the new software because of its flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use.

   Critical thinking skills and emotional and intellectual adaptability are essential characteristics of an educated citizenry.

Other Words From

• non·a·dapt·a·bil·i·ty noun
• non·a·dapt·a·ble·ness noun
• re·a·dapt·a·bil·i·ty noun
• su·per·a·dapt·a·ble·ness noun
• un·a·dapt·a·bil·i·ty noun
• un·a·dapt·a·ble·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of adaptability¹

adapt ( def ) + -ability ( def )

Example Sentences

Sheet-pan suppers are the easy and adaptable way to get dinner on the table fastAlong with the turkey is a stuffing-roasted veg mash-up featuring large, hand-torn croutons and cubes of sweet potato.

From Washington Post

Sheet-pan suppers are the easy and adaptable way to get dinner on the table fastScale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.

From Washington Post

This conspiracy theory has become a favored topic among misinformation researchers because of all the ways it has remained extensible, adaptable, and resilient in the face of platform companies’ efforts to quarantine and remove it.

From MIT Technology Review

They’re flexible and adaptable to different behavior toward them.

From Freakonomics

“There has never been a community where their participants are as adaptable,” he said.

From Fortune

Its adaptability and breeding capabilities ensured that it would be selected for mass production on an unimaginable scale.

From The Daily Beast

Long life requires adaptability, both across missions and through-life.

From The Daily Beast

Part-time workers have less time to adjust to the job, so adaptability and quick learning skills are big pluses, for example.

From The Daily Beast

“People and rats together have a corner on the adaptability market,” Ostfeld told The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

What it all comes down to—the theme that comes up over and over in the book—is adaptability.

From The Daily Beast

Miss Lee's ready adaptability proved a valuable asset that day.

From Project Gutenberg

And Ray congratulated himself on the adaptability of his answer.

From Project Gutenberg

It returned triumphant through sheer power of unlimited vitality and adaptability.

From Project Gutenberg

He was one of the creatures to whom the passage of years would mean but little, but added charm and adaptability.

From Project Gutenberg

It is an instance of our national adaptability, learned from an experience on long coasts where navy-yards are not too handy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• flexibility
• versatility