adaptable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being adapted.
-
able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions.
an adaptable person.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adaptable
Explanation
Something that is adaptable can change to fit its environment, whether that environment is natural or social. The level to which a species is adaptable to changing surroundings is an important factor in the study of evolution. Let’s look at the Latin word adaptāre, from the root aptus "fitted." The ad- means "to, while the aptare means "join." Since 15th-century medieval French, the word adapt has come to mean "to fit in or adjust." So something adaptable is something that "fits in or adjusts." An example of an adaptable creature is the arctic fox, whose fur changes from dirt-dark in summer to snow-white in winter, to better blend in with its surroundings.
Vocabulary lists containing adaptable
Power Suffix: -able
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Positive Adjectives to Describe People
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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.
As more discoveries accumulate, many scientists now believe humans were far more adaptable than the original Toba catastrophe hypothesis suggested.
From Science Daily • May 11, 2026
All while playing an attacking, adaptable, and intense style of football with players boasting a sliding scale of abilities.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Chicken, however, is omnipresent — the quiet overachiever of the protein world, endlessly adaptable and perennially in demand.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
These organisms are highly adaptable, living in extreme conditions ranging from hot springs to the Arctic, as well as on surfaces like roofs and walls in cities.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026
He will be aiming for me, and I remember how I’d trained for him with the others, how Roshan had warned me of his adaptable nature.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
