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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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.
Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
It requires an officer corps that is well-educated, adaptable and creative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Under the gaze of actress Rosario Dawson, pieces by designer Ermanno Daelli took on a rock and sexy edge, while remaining adaptable to many summer outfits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
But Cameron won out thanks to her unrelenting pressure, which never allowed the usually adaptable Mayer to figure out a winning gameplan.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Over the eons of unhurried time that is nature’s, life reached an adjustment with destructive forces as selection weeded out the less adaptable and only the most resistant survived.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
