unadaptable
adjective
un·adapt·able
ˌən-ə-ˈdap-tə-bəl 
-a-
: not adaptable: such as
a
: not capable of adjusting to new conditions or situations
people who are unadaptable to change
b
: not capable of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses
An economy that is … unadaptable is not efficient.—
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobsan unadaptable computer system
Examples of unadaptable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The novel has been adapted by Noah Baumbach into a feature film starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, despite a reputation for being unadaptable because of its density of detail and its fractured, occasionally absurdist plot.
—Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2022
For years, Frank Herbert’s sweeping 1965 sci-fi novel — set in the distant future on a desert planet where powerful clans fight for control over the most precious substance in the universe — was considered all but unadaptable.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2023
It must be said that DeLillo’s novel has long been considered unadaptable for precisely this reason of tone.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2022
The latter sentiment is the key to understanding both the assets and challenges of making a TV series out of a comic book long held as one of the medium’s greatest, but also one of its most unadaptable.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2022
So maybe its backers simply need to keep reminding people how Frank Herbert’s novel was considered unadaptable ... and Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth and Villeneuve did it.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2022
That film’s failure gave the book a reputation for being unadaptable: too long, unwieldy, and dense with lore to work on a blockbuster scale.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2021
Who better than his fellow filmmakers to understand the difficulties involved in bringing Frank Herbert’s nigh-unadaptable novel to the screen?
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2021
Apple TV+, striving to make its mark with a modest number of high quality series, opted to embark on the impossible and adapt the unadaptable.
—Jeff Ewing, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2022
For years, Frank Herbert’s sweeping 1965 sci-fi novel — set in the distant future on a desert planet where powerful clans fight for control over the most precious substance in the universe — was considered all but unadaptable.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2023
It must be said that DeLillo’s novel has long been considered unadaptable for precisely this reason of tone.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2022
The latter sentiment is the key to understanding both the assets and challenges of making a TV series out of a comic book long held as one of the medium’s greatest, but also one of its most unadaptable.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2022
So maybe its backers simply need to keep reminding people how Frank Herbert’s novel was considered unadaptable ... and Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth and Villeneuve did it.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2022
That film’s failure gave the book a reputation for being unadaptable: too long, unwieldy, and dense with lore to work on a blockbuster scale.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2021
Who better than his fellow filmmakers to understand the difficulties involved in bringing Frank Herbert’s nigh-unadaptable novel to the screen?
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2021
Apple TV+, striving to make its mark with a modest number of high quality series, opted to embark on the impossible and adapt the unadaptable.
—Jeff Ewing, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Unadaptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unadaptable. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share