MALADAPTATION Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

maladaptation

noun

Definition of maladaptation

as in friction

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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.

Recent Examples of maladaptation Our knack for accommodation increasingly looks like what evolutionary biologists call a maladaptation. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026 For years, maladaptation was given short shrift as research and policy prioritized mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. — Stephen Robert Miller, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022 This maladaptation to lack of hip stability causes the knee to be unnaturally pinched between the upper leg and lower leg, precipitating damage and pain. — Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 20 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maladaptation

Noun

Slickwater uses a mix of water, sand, and thin, friction-reducing chemicals rather than thicker gels to shatter dense shale rock deep underground and free the gas.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Mercury, your ruler, moves through your 6th House and quincunxes Saturn in your 11th, revealing friction between everyday responsibilities and what friends, groups, or future plans are asking from you.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of friction

Noun

And so my conversation with Noah centered on the idea of a space where there would be a discordance between what the physical space looked like and what was happening emotionally in that room.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2025

Definition of discordance

Noun

If the histrionics coming out of Washington are any indication, the discord won’t abate soon.

— Chris Park, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Since France's July 2024 snap election delivered no parliamentary majority, budget disputes have sparked political discord, with two administrations being ousted in no-confidence votes.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

Most believe there could be solutions through civil dialog, there are answers in the middle, and there is destructive disunity at the fringes.

— Letters to the Editor, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
Whether that agreement will rapidly come to fruition on such a tight timeline is looking increasingly difficult – especially amid disunity among House and Senate Democrats.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026

Definition of disunity

Noun

Meanwhile, the university faced scrutiny from the federal government on its research funding and diversity initiatives.

— Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
This is despite the City of London’s socio-economic diversity taskforce setting a target for half of senior leaders to come from working-class or non-professional backgrounds by 2030.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of diversity

Noun

After conquering a country in ruins and containing sectarian strife, Syria’s postrevolutionary government is facing its most serious crisis yet – at the pumps.

— Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
The playoffs will conclude an eventful 2026 season fans at one point worried would either be abbreviated or eliminated entirely by labor strife.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

But the disparity also illustrates why neither ESPN nor the NFL should be particularly concerned about Monday's unusually poor number.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
In the central bank's Survey of Consumer Finances, researchers found that while wealth disparities narrowed somewhat, the ability to meet debt payments deteriorated significantly.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of disparity

Noun

The sea hag in Widow’s Bay, by contrast, is a monstrous cross between Samara from The Ring, the entity from It Follows, and the lady in the bathtub from The Shining.

— Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
The shoes are made from a black kid suede upper with a nude kid leather insole and a nude leather outsole that add a bit of contrast to the shoe.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of contrast

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making way

maladaptation

maladies

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“Maladaptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maladaptation. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maladaptation

noun

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