MALADAPTATIONS 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

Compared to front load washers, top load washers have what’s called an agitator in the center of the vertical drum that’s used to create friction amongst the clothes when washing.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
This removes much of the friction that’s often involved with editing 360 files – assuming the algorithmic choices match your creative intent.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 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

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and with it, a new era of chaos and discord.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary at a time of national discord, Americans are reflecting on the legacy of their country’s history.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 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

The huge diversity in artistic opportunity is clearly visible in the finalists for 2026’s Ocean Photographer of the Year award.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
In the fall of 2025, the ranking and review site released its 2026 list of the Best Schools in America, evaluating schools based on academics, diversity, teachers and college preparation.

— Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of diversity

Noun

The rare interview comes a few months after reports of marital strife between Edo and Beatrice, 37, who tied the knot in 2020.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
The prospect of labor strife looms over the rest of this Padres/MLB season, what with the labor pact due to expire in December and both sides already drawing bright red lines in public statements.

— Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

Judges are free to ignore sentencing guidelines, which are intended to reduce disparities in punishments levied for the same crimes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Your wife must love that poem and the acknowledgment of the disparity between how men are just, like, acknowledged and applauded for just being a father out in public with their kids and the way women are just expected to be that way.

— Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of disparity

Noun

By contrast, collectivist societies focus more on social harmony and prioritise the group over individual goals, with decisions made based on what is best for the wider community.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
By contrast, the defense will point to the parts of the book that are provably false, in an attempt to discredit it, explained David Roger, the former Clark County, Nevada, district attorney.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of maladaptation

noun

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