adapt

verb

\ ə-ˈdapt

, a-\

adapted; adapting; adapts

Definition of adapt

transitive verb

: to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification adapt the curriculum to students' needs

intransitive verb

: to become adapted adapt to a new enviroment

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about adapt

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Choose the Right Synonym for adapt

adapt, adjust, accommodate, conform, reconcile mean to bring one thing into correspondence with another. adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances. adapted themselves to the warmer climate adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism. adjusted the budget to allow for inflation accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence. accommodated his political beliefs in order to win conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle. refused to conform to society's values reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible. tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

Examples of adapt in a Sentence

When children go to a different school, it usually takes them a while to adapt. She has adapted herself to college life quite easily. The camera has been adapted for underwater use. The clock was adapted to run on batteries. The movie was adapted from the book of the same title. adapting the movie for television

Recent Examples on the Web

Hollywood has struggled with adapting Herbert's magical work during the 50-plus years since its publication. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "Everything We Know So Far About Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'," 14 Jan. 2019 Meet Ice Lake: Intel’s next-gen Core People want a platform that allows them to focus, adapt, and work all day. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel reveals its 10nm Ice Lake Core and stacked Lakefield CPUs, and 'Project Athena' for laptops," 7 Jan. 2019 It's made of that famous TEMPUR foam that adapts to your body shape, offering up support and pressure relief just like the brand's popular mattresses. — Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, "7 Top-Rated Mattress Toppers, According to Textile Pros," 19 Dec. 2018 Fans immediately took to Twitter to blast him for wearing the hairstyle traditionally adapted by people of color. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Jeffree Star Wore Cornrows for a Jeffree Star Cosmetics Photo Shoot and People Have a LOT of Feelings," 28 Sep. 2018 Geneva Robertson-Dworet — the scribe behind Marvel Studios' upcoming Captain Marvel — has been tapped to adapt The Martian author Andy Weir's latest novel, Artemis, for directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. — Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Captain Marvel' Writer Geneva Robertson-Dworet Penning Phil Lord and Chris Miller's 'Artemis'," 13 July 2018 What’s still debated, though, is which 1968 recording initially adapted a reggae beat distinctive from its rocksteady forerunner. — Patricia Meschino, Billboard, "As Reggae Celebrates 50 Years, Some of the Genre's Pioneers Look Back on Its Worldwide Ascent," 1 July 2018 These fabrics have been adapted to homewares, a growing category for the brand. — Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, "This Is the Paris Shop Where Haider Ackermann Buys Slippers," 23 Jan. 2019 First imagined by Erle Stanley Gardner in a series of novels, over the past century, the character has been adapted for multiple television programs, films, and a long-running radio show. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Perry Mason Is Getting a Reboot—Here's Everything We Know," 14 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adapt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for adapt

Middle English adapted (as translation of Latin adaptātus), borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French adapter, borrowed from Latin adaptāre, from ad- ad- + aptāre "to put into position, bring to bear, make ready," verbal derivative of aptus "fastened, prepared, suitable" — more at apt entry 1