adjustment

noun

ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt 

plural adjustments

1

: the act or process of adjusting

2

: a settlement of a claim or debt in a case in which the amount involved is uncertain or full payment is not made

3

: the state of being adjusted

4

: a means (such as a mechanism) by which things are adjusted one to another

5

: a correction or modification to reflect actual conditions

6

chiropractic : the manual or mechanical manipulation of a joint (especially the spine) in which a controlled force is applied to the joint

A click of the instrument allows the practitioner to provide a quick and precise thrust to the spine, making the adjustment before the patient's muscular reflex can tense the body and interfere with the manipulation.

—Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing

adjustmental

ə-ˌjəs(t)-ˈmen-tᵊl 

ˌa-ˌjəs(t)-

adjective

Synonyms of adjustment

• adaptation
• adaption

Examples of adjustment in a Sentence

The engine only needed a minor adjustment.

She made some slight adjustments to the recipe.

The engine only needed minor adjustment.

Moving from the city to the country requires an adjustment.

We went through a period of adjustment at the new school.

The figures were calculated with no adjustments for inflation.

The figures were calculated with no adjustment for inflation.

Recent Examples on the Web

An additional adjustment was made for the Independence Day holiday. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 July 2026

This adjustment creates the necessary inverse pulse sequences without demanding high computational processing power from the vehicle’s control computer. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026

Formula 1’s own explanation notes that the crew ideally gets into position 15 to 20 seconds before the car arrives, with tires, equipment, adjustments and roles already prepared. — Erum Manzoor, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Quitting and restarting, Kazlouskaya notes, only forces your skin through the irritation-and-dryness adjustment all over again. — Angela Haupt, Time, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French ajustement, going back to Middle French adjutement, adjustement, from adjuster "to adjust" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing adjustment

• self-adjustment

Rhymes for adjustment

• maladjustment
• readjustment

Kids Definition

adjustment

noun

ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt 

1

: the act or process of adjusting

2

: a settlement of a claim or debt

3

: the state of being adjusted

4

: a means of adjusting one part (as in a machine) in relation to another

an adjustment for focusing a microscope

Medical Definition

adjustment

noun

ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt 

1

: the act or process of adjusting: as

a

: the process of modifying one's behavior in changed circumstances or an altered environment in order to fulfill psychological, physiological, and social needs

b

: a functional and often transitory alteration by which an organism adapts to its immediate environment compare adaptation sense 2b

2

: a means (as a mechanism) by which things are adjusted one to another

adjustments for brightness

3

chiropractic : the manual or mechanical manipulation of a joint (especially of the spine) in which a controlled force is applied to the joint

adjustmental

ə-ˌjəs(t)-ˈment-ᵊl, ˌaj-ˌəs(t)- 

adjective