26984 words

adapt

6 definitions • 13 examples
1
to change, or to change something, to suit different conditions or uses:

Examples:

adapt something for something Davies is busy adapting Brinkworth's latest novel for television.
The play had been adapted for (= changed to make it suitable for) children.
adapt from The recipe here is a pork roast adapted from Caroline O'Neill's book "Louisiana Kitchen".
[ + to infinitive ] We had to adapt our plans to fit Jack's timetable.
2
to change your ideas or behaviour to make them suitable for a new situation:

Examples:

adapt to The good thing about children is that they adapt very easily to new environments.
It took me a while to adapt to the new job.
3
If a living thing adapts, it changes slightly over time so it can continue to exist in a particular environment:

Examples:

The ways in which organisms have adapted to survive in this extreme environment are not well understood.
4
to adjust to different conditions or uses, or to change to meet different situations
5
to become familiar with a new situation:

Examples:

adapt to sth To remain competitive the company has to be able to adapt to the changing marketplace.
adapt to doing sth Dick has adapted very well to running a multinational.
6
to change something to suit different conditions or uses:

Examples:

Sometimes you have to adapt the design to suit the customer's requirements.
adapt sth for sth It was the first time a British brewer had adapted a product for French tastes.

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