Meanings
plural adaptabilities
- countableuncountableThe quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable.
But the real test of my adaptability came senior year, when I became chapter president of DKA.
2020 June 30, Spencer Wright, “My fraternity taught me the secret to surviving a pandemic”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2026Synonyms: adaptableness
- countableuncountablebiologyVariability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions; susceptibility of an organism to that variation whereby it becomes suited to or fitted for its conditions of environment; the capacity of an organism to be modified by circumstances.
Typically, tarantulas are either terrestrial or arboreal, but the Chilobrachys natanicharum can live in both enivronments^([sic – meaning environments]), the researchers said, demonstrating its adaptability.
2023 September 26, Hafsa Khalil, “Electric blue tarantula species discovered in Thailand”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2023
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
- Proto-Italic*ad
- Proto-Italic*ad-
- Latinad-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ptós
- Proto-Italic*aptos
- Latinaptus
- Proto-Indo-European[Term?]
- Proto-Italic*apjō
- Latinapiō
- Latinaptō
- Latinadaptō
- Middle English*adapten
- Englishadapt
- Englishadaptable
- Englishadapt
- Englishadaptability
From adaptable + -ity or adapt + -ability.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian приспособи́мост, адапти́вност
- приспособи́мост (prisposobímost)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- адапти́вност (adaptívnost)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- изменчи́вост (izmenčívost)variability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
Catalan adaptabilitat
- adaptabilitatquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Chinese Mandarin 適應性 /适应性, 可塑性
- 適應性 /适应性 (shìyìngxìng)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- 可塑性 (kěsùxìng)variability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
Czech přizpůsobivost
- přizpůsobivostquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Finnish sopeutuvuus, sopeutumiskyky
- sopeutuvuusquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- sopeutumiskykyquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- sopeutuvuusvariability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
French adaptabilité
- adaptabilitéquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
German Anpassungsfähigkeit
- Anpassungsfähigkeitquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Hindi अनुकूलन क्षमता
- अनुकूलन क्षमता (anukūlan kṣamtā)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Italian adattabilità
- adattabilitàquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Polish adaptowalność, adaptabilność
- adaptowalnośćquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- adaptabilnośćvariability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
- przystosowawczośćvariability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
Portuguese adaptabilidade, flexibilidade
- adaptabilidadequality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- flexibilidadequality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Romanian adaptabilitate, adaptabilitate
- adaptabilitatequality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- adaptabilitatevariability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
Russian адапти́вность, приспособля́емость
- адапти́вность (adaptívnostʹ)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- приспособля́емость (prisposobljájemostʹ)quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- адапти́вность (adaptívnostʹ)variability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
- приспособля́емость (prisposobljájemostʹ)variability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions
Spanish adaptabilidad, flexibilidad
- adaptabilidadquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
- flexibilidadquality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable
Cite this entry
adaptability. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adaptability
“adaptability.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adaptability. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adaptability,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adaptability.
Source: adaptability on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.