adjustment
Americannoun
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the act of adjusting; adaptation to a particular condition, position, or purpose.
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the state of being adjusted; orderly relation of parts or elements.
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a device, as a knob or lever, for adjusting.
the adjustments on a television set.
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the act of bringing something into conformity with external requirements.
the adjustment of one's view of reality.
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harmony achieved by modification or change of a position.
They worked out an adjustment of their conflicting ideas.
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Sociology. a process of modifying, adapting, or altering individual or collective patterns of behavior so as to bring them into conformity with other such patterns, as with those provided by a cultural environment.
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Insurance. the act of ascertaining the amount of indemnity that the party insured is entitled to receive under the policy, and of settling the claim.
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a settlement of a disputed account or claim.
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a change or concession, as in price or other terms, in view of minor defect or the like.
noun
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the act of adjusting or state of being adjusted
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a control for regulating
the adjustment for volume is beside the speaker
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adjustment
Explanation
The act of making an alteration or modification is an adjustment. If you buy a new pair of jeans, but they are too long, you can make a quick adjustment and hem them, have someone else hem them, or use safety pins. The process of adapting to your environmental conditions is also called an adjustment. After you leave home for college, both you and your parents will have a period of adjustment. Some people adjust easier to change than others — you may be having a ball going to class, eating cereal for dinner, and making new friends but an adjustment your parents will have to make is that they will need to stop worrying about you.
Vocabulary lists containing adjustment
Schooled
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A Single Shard
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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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.
He said it would require "a massive adjustment for society," which could mean "a big increase in unemployment."
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Citizenship and Immigration Services said it would only grant adjustment of status—the formal name for granting a green card inside the country—in “extraordinary circumstances.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
There are currently more than a million legal immigrants waiting for approval on their adjustment of status green card applications, according to the Cato Institute's director of immigration studies.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
The researchers used those data to determine whether each person would benefit more from turning the toes inward or outward, and whether a 5° or 10° adjustment would be best.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
“What a hard adjustment for you,” I say, my curiosity about these boys turning off like a switch.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
