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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
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adapt was our Word of the Day on 09/27/2011. Hear the podcast!
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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 of adapt from the Web
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Perhaps someone will adapt the story into a tongue-in-cheek horror film that would make the auteur proud.
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A little damage to muscles is a good thing because that stimulates them to grow and adapt to stress.
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The second change is that firms have had to adapt to a decrepit tax code that is stuck in the 1980s, before business globalised.
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Bryce Harper, apparently unsatisfied with the current setup, suggested the All-Star Game should adapt a team captain format.
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The provision of teeth and jaws, adapted to effect the work of death most speedily, is highly subsidiary to the accomplishment of the desirable end.
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The piece, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind (and adapted by Henry Wishcamper), draws deeply on the Marx Brothers’ vaudeville background.
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Noah has adapted to that identity with his play and offseason work in the weight room.
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The 28-second video, adapted from a 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment event that Trump participated in, showed him taking down a man with CNN’s logo superimposed over the man’s face.
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.
Did You Know?
Rooted in the origins of "adapt" is the idea of becoming specifically "fit" for something. English speakers adapted "adapt" in the 15th century from the French adapter, which itself traces to the Latin forms aptare, meaning "to fit," and aptus, meaning "fit" or "apt." Other descendants of "aptus" in English include "aptitude," "inept," and of course "apt" itself, as well as "unapt" and "inapt."
Origin and Etymology of adapt
French or Latin; French adapter, from Latin adaptare, from ad- + aptare to fit, from aptus apt, fit
Synonym Discussion of adapt
ADAPT Defined for English Language Learners
adapt
playDefinition of adapt for English Language Learners
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: to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation
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: to change (something) so that it functions better or is better suited for a purpose
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: to change (a movie, book, play, etc.) so that it can be presented in another form
ADAPT Defined for Kids
adapt
playDefinition of adapt for Students
adapted
;adapting
1 : to change behavior so that it is easier to function in a particular place or situation He easily adapted to high school.
2 : to make or become suitable or able to function The camera was adapted for underwater use.
Word Root of adapt
The Latin word aptus, meaning “fit” or “suitable,” gives us the root apt or ept. Words from the Latin aptus have something to do with being fitting or suitable. Something apt fits just right into a situation. To adapt is to change in order to fit a situation better. Someone who is adept has suitable skills to perform a task well, while someone who is inept does not.
Medical Dictionary
adapt
playMedical Definition of adapt
: to make fit (as for a specific or new use or situation) often by modification adapted himself to the new position
intransitive verb
: to become adapted : undergo adaptation
Learn More about adapt
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See words that rhyme with adapt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for adapt Spanish Central: Translation of adapt Nglish: Translation of adapt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of adapt for Arabic speakers
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