Meaning & use
adapted
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“adapted” is a form of “adapt”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Suited or adjusted to particular conditions, needs, or a different purpose.
Grammar: Common after linking verbs with to: adapted to city life; also before a noun: an adapted script.
Patterns
- adapted to something
- well adapted
- adapted for a purpose
The camel is well adapted to desert heat.
She quickly became adapted to the new timetable.
The course was adapted for beginners.
adjectivenot comparable
Changed from an original source to create a new version.
Grammar: Usually followed by from for the source: adapted from a memoir; by for the adapter is less common in learner use.
Patterns
- adapted from a novel
- freely adapted
- adapted by someone
The series is adapted from a bestselling memoir.
The play was freely adapted from folk tales.
This scene is adapted by the director for local audiences.
Common combinations
- adapted to change
- The team is adapted to change after years of reform.
- well adapted
- Desert plants are well adapted to little rain.
- adapted from a novel
- The screenplay was adapted from a novel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suited
- Means appropriate; adapted emphasizes change made for fit.
- adjusted
- Everyday change, often smaller; adapted can involve substantial redesign.
- modified
- Changed in form or function; adapted often implies better fit.
Opposites
Word family
- adapt verb
- Base form meaning to adjust or reshape.
- adaptation noun
- The process or result of adapting.
- adaptable adjective
- Able to adapt.
Commonly confused: adapted or adopted?
adapted vs adopted
Adapted means changed to fit; adopted means taken as one's own or legally accepted.
Practice
The film was adapted ___ a popular memoir.
Choose one answer.
Adapted from names the original source. The other choices cannot introduce a source.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adapted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.