Adaptable

How to spell adaptable

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce adaptable

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does adaptable mean?

1. adjectiveAble to adjust readily to new conditions, uses, or circumstances.

Adaptable in a sentence

• A good manager stays calm and adaptable when priorities shift.

• The modular furniture is adaptable to almost any room layout.

Where does adaptable come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb adaptare, meaning 'to fit one thing to another', which was built from the prefix ad- 'to' and aptare 'to fit', itself from aptus, meaning 'fitted' or 'suitable'. The same aptus root sits behind the familiar words 'apt' and 'aptitude', all carrying the idea of being well suited to a purpose. English took 'adapt' from French adapter in the seventeenth century, and the adjective 'adaptable' followed naturally by adding the productive ending -able, meaning 'capable of being'. The spelling trap is the ending: because the root is fully formed before the suffix, it takes -able rather than -ible, and the silent 'e' of adapt is dropped before the vowel. Remembering that adaptable describes something that 'can be adapted' helps anchor the -able choice.

How the word is built

• ad- (to)
• apt (from aptus: fitted, suitable)
• -able (capable of being)