adaptive

American

[uh-dap-tiv] / əˈdæp tɪv /

adjective

serving or able to adapt; showing or contributing to adaptation.

the adaptive coloring of a chameleon.

Other Word Forms

adaptively adverb
adaptiveness noun
adaptivity noun
nonadaptive adjective
readaptive adjective
readaptively adverb
readaptiveness noun
unadaptive adjective
unadaptively adverb
unadaptiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of adaptive

First recorded in 1815–25; adapt + -ive

Compare meaning

How does adaptive compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

adaptive vs. maladaptive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When asked who suggested the idea, Black Cats manager Regis le Bris smiled and simply said: "Always unpredictable, creative, adaptive."

From BBC

"It requires full-body sensing and adaptive understanding - how to adjust for each person and situation," he says.

From BBC

Dragon Hatchling imbues AI with memory that large language models can’t match, according to Pathway, theoretically enabling a new class of continuously learning, adaptive AI systems.

From The Wall Street Journal

It includes some of our must-have tech, such as automatic emergency braking and steering, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, and automatic high beams.

From MarketWatch

But it rides on a brilliantly tuned air suspension with adaptive dampers to tie down rebellious momenta.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023