adapt
/əˈdapt
/verb [with object]
1Make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify: hospitals have had to be adapted for modern medical practice [with object and infinitive]: the policies can be adapted to suit individual needs...
- Individual countries can no longer adapt monetary policy to suit their particular economic situation.
- An existing in-house induction programme was adapted for the company's overseas staff.
- In the current investigation, a number of existing measures were adapted for use.
Synonyms
modify, alter, make alterations to, change, adjust, make adjustments to, convert, transform, redesign, restyle, refashion, remodel, reshape, revamp, rework, redo, reconstruct, reorganize;
customize, tailor;
improve, make improvements to, amend, refine
informal tweak
1.1 [no object] Become adjusted to new conditions: a large organization can be slow to adapt to change...
- If one is to enjoy any return on the investment, one must be smart, work diligently and adapt to local conditions.
- They adapt to the conditions here, the climate, the training, the food.
- It is willing to adapt to new world conditions, and to absorb new technologies and investments.
Synonyms
adjust, acclimatize, accommodate, attune, habituate, acculturate, conform;
familiarize oneself with, habituate oneself to, become habituated to, get used to, orient oneself in, condition oneself to;
reconcile oneself to, resign oneself to, become resigned to, come to terms with, find one's way around;
become naturalized, become seasoned, get one's bearings, find one's feet, blend in, fit in;
North American acclimate
1.2Alter (a text) to make it suitable for filming, broadcasting, or the stage: the film was adapted from a Turgenev short story...
- The musical, which wowed the crowds when it visited Bradford last year, is adapted from the 1961 film.
- The Notebook and The Proof, by Agota Kristof, is a trilogy which has been adapted from novel to stage.
- As with any film that is adapted from a novel, the movie often does not do the book justice.
Origin
Late Middle English: from French adapter, from Latin adaptare, from ad- 'to' + aptare (from aptus 'fit').