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

Procedures and processes should make things smoother, not create friction.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
As technology removes friction from nearly every transaction, the experiences people still willingly wait for have become increasingly valuable — and increasingly public.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Definition of friction

Noun

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
The songs bounce from discordance and disorientation to harmoniousness and repose — even in the uneasy moments, the songs don't sink.

— Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Definition of discordance

Noun

Meena said his contract was terminated prematurely, a dispute highlighting internal discord.

— Catherine Muccigrosso July 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
But mounting turmoil and discord have been a part of this transformative period that has featured a landmark collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing player recognition.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 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

It is particularly aimed at improving diversity in the sector through targeting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, female and non-binary individuals and those from ethnic minorities.

— Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
But African populations carry more diverse segments and some that are distinct, a consequence of some of the diversity that was lost when only a fraction of the total population expanded into Eurasia.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of diversity

Noun

An intervention would risk shattering Lebanon, igniting sectarian strife, and further destabilizing the entire region, potentially undermining Sharaa's government.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Next year’s game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990, but is threatened by possible labor strife.

— Ronald Blum, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

The disparity in vehicle size is a major concern on America’s roads, particularly as passenger cars trend bigger and heavier, with electrified models pushing curb weights up even further.

— Adam Ismail, The Drive, 30 July 2026
The tribe will have to rely on other revenue sources that are now allowed through recognition, such as a casino, to reverse the health disparities their people have faced for decades, Lumbee researchers said.

— Andrew Jones, NPR, 30 July 2026

Definition of disparity

Browse Nearby Words

making way

maladaptation

maladies

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“Maladaptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maladaptation. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of maladaptation

noun

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