Adaptive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈdæp.tɪv/

Definitions

1. Able to adjust or modify behavior and characteristics in response to changing conditions or environments
2. Capable of changing or evolving traits and actions to suit varying circumstances or surroundings
3. Having the ability to alter responses and features according to different situations and environmental factors

Etymology: "Adaptive" is built from "adapt" plus the suffix "-ive," and the verb "adapt" comes from Latin "adaptare," meaning "to fit to," built from "ad-" ("to") and "aptare" ("to fit"). The root "aptus" ("fitting, suitable") sits behind it, which also gives English "apt" and "adept" in its family. So the core idea is one of fitting something to something else. The suffix is the Latin "-ivus," which passed into Old French as "-if" and then reached Middle English as "-yf" before settling into the modern "-ive." It turns a verb into a description of capacity or tendency: something that is inclined to act in a certain way. An "adaptive" thing is one that has the quality of fitting itself to circumstances. Middle English already had "adapten" as a verb, so the adjective is a natural extension of that older verb rather than a separate coinage. The word's sense has stayed close to its roots: from "fitting to" something, to able to change itself so that it fits.

Synonyms: flexible, adjustable

Antonyms: rigid, inflexible