adaptable
adjective
Simple meaning
Able to change easily to fit new conditions or uses.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhdaptuhbuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əˈdæptəbəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Capable of adapting (of becoming or being made suitable) to a particular situation or use
“To succeed one must be adaptable.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: Capable of adapting (of becoming or being made suitable) to a particular situation or use
Being 'adaptable' means you can easily adjust or be adjusted to new circumstances. It's a positive trait often contrasted with being rigid, highlighting flexibility and resourcefulness.
“To succeed one must be adaptable.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Job descriptions
“The ideal candidate is adaptable and thrives in dynamic environments.”
Parenting advice
“It's good to teach children to be adaptable to new routines.”
Product reviews
“This tent is highly adaptable for various weather conditions.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use adaptable
- “To succeed one must be adaptable.”adjective
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Capable of being filmed.
Capable of being changed.
Made of elastic.
Capable of being adjusted.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A musician who adapts a composition for particular voices or instruments or for another style of performance.
Device that enables something to be used in a way different from that for which it was intended or makes different pieces of apparatus compatible.
A written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form.
Having a capacity for adaptation.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: capable of adapting (of becoming
Antonyms
Sense: capable of adapting (of becoming
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “adaptable” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.