ENGLISH
REFERENCE

adaptation

n. C / U
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˌædəpˈteɪʃən// UK //ɐdɐptˈeɪʃən// adap·ta·tion

n. the process of changing to fit new conditions or a new environment. It can also mean a book or play that has been changed into a movie.

n. the process of adjusting to new environmental or social conditions; also, the modification of a creative work for a different medium.


SIMPLE

The adaptation to the new office culture took several months.

CONTEXTUAL

Sociologists study how cultural adaptation helps immigrant communities maintain their identity while integrating into a new society.

COMPLEX

The film is a faithful adaptation of the novel, capturing the protagonist's internal struggle through visual metaphors that replace the original text's lengthy monologues.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general process of adjusting; countable when referring to a specific version of a creative work.

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