v., a·dapt·ed, a·dapt·ing, a·dapts. v.tr.
To make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation.
v.intr.
To become adapted: a species that has adapted well to winter climes.
[Middle English adapten, from Latin adaptāre : ad-, ad- + aptāre, to fit (from aptus, fitting; see apt).]
adaptedness a·dapt'ed·ness n.SYNONYMS adapt, accommodate, adjust, conform, fit, reconcile. These verbs mean to make suitable to or consistent with a particular situation or use: adapted themselves to city life; can't accommodate myself to the new requirements; adjusting their behavior to the rules; conforming her life to accord with her moral principles; fitting the punishment to the crime; couldn't reconcile his reassuring words with his hostile actions.
ANTONYM unfit
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
