adaptation

ad·ap·ta·tion | \ ˌa-ˌdap-ˈtā-shən

, -dəp- \

Definition of adaptation

1 : something that is adapted a new adaptation of an old recipe specifically : a composition rewritten into a new form a screen adaptation of a novel

2 : the act or process of adapting a process undergoing adaptation : the state of being adapted adaptation to changing circumstances

3 : adjustment to environmental conditions: such as

a : adjustment of a sense organ to the intensity or quality of stimulation

b : modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment : a heritable physical or behavioral trait that serves a specific function and improves an organism's fitness or survival

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Examples of adaptation in a Sentence

His stage adaptation of the novel was a success. The film is an adaptation of a book of the same title. The insect's evolutionary adaptations enable it to be almost invisible even when sitting in the middle of a leaf. a tool designed for easy adaptation

Recent Examples on the Web Lesher, who was also a producer on a film adaptation of the book that was announced in 2013 but never came to fruition, told THR that the series will be only loosely based on the source material. — Gavin J. Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, "Rinko Kikuchi to Star in Michael Mann's HBO Max Series ‘Tokyo Vice’ (Exclusive)," 5 Mar. 2020 Today in Dream Collaborations news, Amazon is reportedly working on a TV adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s 1987 sci-fi book Dawn to be helmed by Ava DuVernay and Victoria Mahoney. — Angela Watercutter, Wired, "Ava DuVernay Is Working On an Adaptation of Dawn for Amazon," 27 Feb. 2020 The playwright, who is currently basking in the success of his hit Broadway play is already planning to work on a new musical adaptation of next year. — Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, "Iman! Heidi! Coco! All of the Models Turned Up to amfAR’s New York Gala," 6 Feb. 2020 Never Forget Your First—comes out, and later in the year production will begin on the big-screen adaptation of her first book, Alice + Freda Forever. — Landon Nordeman, Town & Country, "Big in 2020: 7 Women to Watch," 14 Jan. 2020 Universal’s 1933 The Invisible Man was the first official adaptation of the Wells novel. — Marc Longenecker, Time, "Beyond The Invisible Man: A Brief History of Invisibility on Screen," 4 Mar. 2020 There's never been a more delicious, playful, and downright horny adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma as Autumn De Wild's take on the classic piece of literature. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "All The British Baes In The New Emma. Movie," 21 Feb. 2020 Unlike this year’s upcoming In the Heights movie, this Hamilton film will not be an adaptation of the Broadway show. — Christian Holub, EW.com, "Hamilton movie coming to theaters featuring original Broadway cast," 3 Feb. 2020 The movie will not be a live-action film adaptation of the musical (unlike the 2019 Cats movie). — Adam Epstein, Quartz, "Why Disney is bringing “Hamilton” to movie theaters next year," 3 Feb. 2020

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

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Last Updated

24 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Adaptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptation. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

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More Definitions for adaptation

adaptation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of adaptation

: something that is adapted especially : a movie, book, play, etc., that is changed so that it can be presented in another form

: a change in a plant or animal that makes it better able to live in a particular place or situation

: the process of changing to fit some purpose or situation : the process of adapting

See the full definition for adaptation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

adaptation

noun

ad·ap·ta·tion | \ ˌa-ˌdap-ˈtā-shən

Kids Definition of adaptation

1 : the act or process of changing to better suit a situation

2 : a body part or feature or a behavior that helps a living thing survive and function better in its environment

adaptation

noun

ad·ap·ta·tion | \ ˌad-ˌap-ˈtā-shən, -əp-

Medical Definition of adaptation

1 : the act or process of adapting : the state of being adapted his ingenious adaptation of the electric cautery knife to…surgery— George Blumer

2 : adjustment to environmental conditions: as

a : adjustment of a sense organ to the intensity or quality of stimulation

b : modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment — compare adjustment sense 1b