Meaning & use
adjustment
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Meanings
nouncountable
a small change made to something so that it works better or fits better.
Grammar: Countable: one adjustment, several adjustments. Often used with make: make an adjustment.
Patterns
- make an adjustment
- adjustment to something
- adjustment in something
The mechanic made a small adjustment to the engine.
You may need some adjustments to your chair for comfort.
A quick adjustment of the mirror helped her see the road.
noununcountable
the process of getting used to a new situation, place, or condition.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the process in general: Adjustment takes time.
Patterns
- adjustment to something
- a period of adjustment
- adjustment takes time
Adjustment to a new school can be hard for children.
The first month abroad was a time of adjustment for him.
She found the adjustment to city life difficult at first.
nouncountablebusinessfinance
a change in a system, price, or amount to make it more accurate or fair.
Grammar: Countable: an adjustment to prices, a salary adjustment.
Patterns
- adjustment to something
- price adjustment
- salary adjustment
The store announced a price adjustment for the new year.
Workers asked for an adjustment to their wages.
There was a small adjustment in the final bill.
Word forms
| plural | adjustments |
|---|
Common combinations
- make an adjustment
- Please make an adjustment to the volume.
- a period of adjustment
- New employees need a period of adjustment.
- adjustment to something
- His adjustment to married life was smooth.
- price adjustment
- The company announced a price adjustment.
- minor adjustment
- Only a minor adjustment is needed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- change
- Change is the general word for anything becoming different; adjustment suggests a small, careful change to improve fit or function.
- modification
- Modification is more formal and often means a deliberate change to a design or plan; adjustment is usually smaller and more practical.
- alteration
- Alteration often refers to a change in clothing or a building; adjustment is used for settings, amounts, or behavior.
Word family
- adjust verb
- to change something slightly, or to get used to a new situation.
- adjustable adjective
- able to be changed to fit different needs.
- adjuster noun
- a person whose job is to decide how much money should be paid for damage or loss.
Commonly confused: adjustment or adaptation?
adjustment vs adaptation
Adaptation is a change in a living thing or a thing to suit a new use; adjustment is usually a small change to a setting or a period of getting used to something.
Practice
After moving to a new country, she found the ___ to the food very difficult.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a noun after 'the', so adjustment is correct. Adjust is a verb, adjustable is an adjective, and adjusted is a verb form, so none fit after 'the'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adjustment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.