Definition of 'adapt'

Word Frequency

adapt

(ədæpt )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense adapts , present participle adapting , past tense, past participle adapted

1. verb

If you adapt to a new situation or adapt yourself to it, you change your ideas or behaviour in order to deal with it successfully.

The world will be different, and we will have to be prepared to adapt to the change. [VERB + to]

They have had to adapt themselves to a war economy. [VERB pronoun-reflexive + to]

[Also VERB]

Synonyms: adjust, change, match, alter More Synonyms of adapt

2. verb

If you adapt something, you change it to make it suitable for a new purpose or situation.

Shelves were built to adapt the library for use as an office. [VERB noun]

[Also VERB noun + to]

Synonyms: convert, change, prepare, fit More Synonyms of adapt

3. verb

If you adapt a book or play, you change it so that it can be made into a film or a television programme.

The scriptwriter helped him to adapt his novel for the screen. [VERB noun]

The film has been adapted from a play of the same title. [be VERB-ed]

4. See also adapted

Video: pronunciation of 'adapt'

Word Frequency

adapt in British

(əˈdæpt )

verb

1. (often foll by to)

to adjust (someone or something, esp oneself) to different conditions, a new environment, etc

2. (transitive)

to fit, change, or modify to suit a new or different purpose

to adapt a play for use in schools

Derived forms

adaptable (aˈdaptable)

adjective

adaptability (aˌdaptaˈbility) or adaptableness (aˈdaptableness)

noun

adaptive (aˈdaptive)

adjective

Word origin of 'adapt'

C17: from Latin adaptāre, from ad- to + aptāre to fit, from aptus apt

Word Frequency

adapt in American

(əˈdæpt ; ədaptˈ)

verb transitive

to make fit or suitable by changing or adjusting

to adjust (oneself) to new or changed circumstances

verb intransitive

to adjust oneself

SYNONYMY NOTE: adapt implies a modifying so as to suit new conditions and suggests flexibility [to adapt oneself to a new environment]; adjust describes the bringing of things into proper relation through the use of skill or judgment [to adjust brakes, to adjust differences]; accommodate implies a subordinating of one thing to the needs of another and suggests concession or compromise [he accommodated his walk to the halting steps of his friend]; conform means to bring or act in harmony with some standard pattern, principle, etc. [to conform to specifications]

Word origin of 'adapt'

Fr adapter < L adaptare < ad-, to + aptare, to fit: see apt1

Example sentences containing 'adapt'

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Could such a device be adapted for domestic use? Times, Sunday Times (2016)You learn to adapt and change. The Sun (2016)We had to adapt to the changes in her lifestyle, but we managed it. Times, Sunday Times (2016)They are great players, so it has been easy for me to adapt to play with them. The Sun (2016)You have to adapt to the changed demands in each place, and that's especially true for jockeys. Times, Sunday Times (2016)That is how he made us adapt to his playing style. The Sun (2015)That allowed him to adjust and adapt his sprawling tale. Times, Sunday Times (2012)We bring in a new agenda that other people adapt and use. Times, Sunday Times (2014)So is there any talk about possibly adapting that second book? Christianity Today (2000)Elsewhere buildings were adapted for surprising purposes. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Small companies are already adapting to change. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Instead he wrote and adapted plays for the stage. Eric Newby A BOOK OF LANDS AND PEOPLES (2003)His treatment was awful and he had no idea how to adapt a book. Times, Sunday Times (2008)In part this reflects changes to adapt to new conditions. Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)He has struggled to adapt his playing style to the hard courts. Times, Sunday Times (2010)In the summer they can be adapted to use as gardening vehicles or refuse trucks. Times, Sunday Times (2009)You have to be able to adjust and adapt and take your own game forward in a different environment. Times, Sunday Times (2010)He knows which players can adapt to his playing style after an assessment of his first three months in charge. Times, Sunday Times (2014)His design has been used or adapted by many of the suppliers that have sprung up in the past few years. Times, Sunday Times (2013)It is to be adapted as a film in France. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Is he keen on films being adapted into plays, then? Times, Sunday Times (2014)Most carried on, adapting their purposes to the war effort in many ways. The Times Literary Supplement (2014)In fairness, perhaps he needs more time to adjust and adapt. The Sun (2008)His films have been adapted for schools in Australia. Times, Sunday Times (2014)There is always more we can do to raise awareness, as crime groups adapt and change. Times, Sunday Times (2011)He's got a good ability to adapt and adjust. Times, Sunday Times (2014)Also, adapting film successes for the stage is a road trodden too often. Times, Sunday Times (2009)In this way forms are modified, and can be adapted to their purpose and become more perfect. Thompkins, Peter, Bird, Christopher Secrets of the Soil (1990)