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.
“I couldn’t even hazard a guess to put those guys head to head. We’re more making sure that current adversary-level defense”—meaning China—“isn’t prepared to deal with such an adaptable munition set.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The work, published in Nature in 2023, suggested that at least some longevity traits that evolved in long-lived animals may be adaptable beyond the species that developed them.
From Science Daily • May 10, 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
These findings support the idea that the brain balances flexibility and stability by maintaining a reserve of highly adaptable synapses.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
“I don’t believe that my particular body structure is easily adaptable to that type of device,” Ignatius observed, a gimlet eye fixed upon the rusting stool.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
