Meanings
adjectivemaladaptable (comparative more maladaptable, superlative most maladaptable)
comparative more maladaptable · superlative most maladaptable
- Poorly adaptable
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)mel-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)molos?
- Proto-Italic*malos
- Latinmalus
- Latinmale
- Old Frenchmal-
- Englishmal-
- 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
- Englishmaladaptable
From mal- + adaptable.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
maladaptable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maladaptable
MLA
“maladaptable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maladaptable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maladaptable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maladaptable.
Source: maladaptable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.