adaptation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the process of changing your behavior or ideas to fit a new situation or environment.
the process of modifying behavior, physiology, or systems to suit new conditions or a changed environment.
Simple“The adaptation to a new school can be difficult for many children at first.”
In context“Successful adaptation to the corporate culture required the new recruits to modify their communication styles significantly.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a change in a plant or animal that helps it survive in its environment.
a heritable trait or process that increases an organism's fitness and survival within its specific habitat.
Simple“The camel's hump is an adaptation that helps it survive in the desert.”
In context“The thick fur of the polar bear is a primary biological adaptation to the extreme cold of the Arctic circle.”
Synonymsevolutionary changemutation - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a movie, play, or television show that is based on a book.
a creative work rewritten or reworked from one medium into another, such as a novel becoming a screenplay.
Simple“The film adaptation of the novel was even better than the book.”
In context“Critics praised the television adaptation for its faithful rendering of the author's complex narrative structure.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
the way a group of people changes its lifestyle to survive in a specific place.
the mechanisms by which social groups adjust to their physical and social environments to ensure survival and stability.
Simple“The community showed great adaptation by finding new ways to farm during the long drought.”
In context“Sociologists study the cultural adaptation of migrant populations as they integrate into urban environments.”
Synonyms
adaptation vs adoption — Adaptation is the process of changing something to fit a new purpose, while adoption is the act of taking something over exactly as it is.
“Adaptation such as designing housing so it is more resilient to hotter temperatures and installing air conditioning has not always had the same focus.”
“According to a freedom of information request submitted by the writer and campaigner Guy Shrubsole , just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.”
From French adaptation, from Medieval Latin adaptātiō, from Latin adaptō (“I fit, adjust, modify; I adapt, fit or adjust to”); see adapt. Equivalent to adapt + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.