# adaptation

/ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/ (US) · /ɐdɐptˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/adaptation
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. adjustment to a situation

noun · CEFR B2

the process of changing your behavior or ideas to fit a new situation or environment.

For teachers: the process of modifying behavior, physiology, or systems to suit new conditions or a changed environment.

- The adaptation to a new school can be difficult for many children at first.
- Successful adaptation to the corporate culture required the new recruits to modify their communication styles significantly.

### 2. biological change

noun · CEFR B2

a change in a plant or animal that helps it survive in its environment.

For teachers: a heritable trait or process that increases an organism's fitness and survival within its specific habitat.

- The camel's hump is an adaptation that helps it survive in the desert.
- The thick fur of the polar bear is a primary biological adaptation to the extreme cold of the Arctic circle.

### 3. book to film

noun · CEFR B2

a movie, play, or television show that is based on a book.

For teachers: a creative work rewritten or reworked from one medium into another, such as a novel becoming a screenplay.

- The film adaptation of the novel was even better than the book.
- Critics praised the television adaptation for its faithful rendering of the author's complex narrative structure.

### 4. societal survival

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the way a group of people changes its lifestyle to survive in a specific place.

For teachers: the mechanisms by which social groups adjust to their physical and social environments to ensure survival and stability.

- The community showed great adaptation by finding new ways to farm during the long drought.
- Sociologists study the cultural adaptation of migrant populations as they integrate into urban environments.

## Examples

- The adaptation to the new office culture took several months.
- Sociologists study how cultural adaptation helps immigrant communities maintain their identity while integrating into a new society.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.