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

Nevertheless, Qualcomm has faced substantial transformation friction and financial pressure this year, with its stock price significantly underperforming the broader market.

— , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Setting clear parameters with quiet conviction will keep discussions productive and prevent unnecessary friction.

— Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 23 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

Once the wicker creation proves far more extraordinary, discord and jealousy upset the fisherwoman’s quiet village.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Dolan was right that distractions can trip up a team, sowing just enough discord among its players to derail their chances at another title, and cut short their fans' chances at another joyous summer.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 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

One strange index of these powers can be registered by counting the mineral diversity on planet Earth.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
The report also found that children benefit from attending school with peers who come from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and observed the most positive effects of diversity in children from low-income and minoritized families.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of diversity

Noun

For all the concerns about payroll disparity, the Brewers and the Rays are among the lowest-spending teams in the sport.

— Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
An early opportunity to narrow gaps For decades, researchers have documented that children from wealthier families tend to perform better in school than their lower-income peers, and those disparities follow them through school.

— Emily Woodruff, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of disparity

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making way

maladaptation

maladies

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Style

“Maladaptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maladaptation. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maladaptation

noun

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