adjustable
Americanadjective
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capable of being adjusted.
adjustable seat belts.
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(of loans, mortgages, etc.) having a flexible rate, as one based on money market interest rates or on the rate of inflation or cost of living.
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(especially of life insurance) having flexible premiums and coverage, based on the insuree's current needs and ability to pay.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adjustable
Explanation
Something that's adjustable can be changed or altered so that it works or fits better. A car's adjustable seat can accommodate both very tall and very short drivers. Most belts are adjustable — you can make them larger or smaller depending on the size of your waist. Seat belts and ball caps are also adjustable, so that they conform to different bodies and heads. When a loan or mortgage from a bank is described as adjustable, it means that the interest rate changes periodically. The verb adjust came first, from the Old French ajouter, "to join," based on the Late Latin adiuxtare, "to bring near."
Vocabulary lists containing adjustable
List 4
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List 10
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"Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills," Vocabulary from Module Three
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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.
Subjects of different genders and body types wore the powered hip exoskeleton and walked at varying speeds on force plates, climbed height-adjustable stairs, walked up and down ramps, and transitioned between those movements.
From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2024
And rows upon rows of 30-by-60 inch, height-adjustable Knoll desks with Herman Miller Aeron chairs sat collecting dust.
From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2023
As well as the £1,120 on the ceramics course, the expenses claims also include £965 on a height-adjustable desk.
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2022
The QD-OLED has a height-adjustable stand and supports tilting, swiveling, and slanting.
From The Verge • Jan. 4, 2022
The four-square-style net is height-adjustable and includes everything you need to set up on grass or sand.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2021
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.
