Adjective
1. To be able to adjust to new conditions
2. Able to be modified for a new use or purpose.
Example: The fact that he was adaptable in the workplace made him a valuable employee.
Synonyms: flexible, adjustable, versatile, resilient, accommodating
Other forms: adapt, adaptability
To be adaptable is important in order to survive in our ever-changing lives. This is true for humans, animals, and plants in ways that are both physiological and behavioral, long term and short term. There are many examples in nature of plants and animals that have adapted through physical changes over thousands of years to their environment in order to survive. Chameleons can change their color to blend in with their background and hide from predators. Camels have adapted to be able to conserve water in their body for a long period of time so that they can survive in extremely dry desert conditions.
Humans too adapt in many ways, from small changes in the workplace or schedule, to positive life events or hardships and tragedies. Humans have an incredible resilience and ability to adapt because we are constantly having to adjust to new situations. This includes when you move to a new environment or country and are immersed in a new language, culture, and climate. Adaptability is essential to survival on many levels. As Charles Darwin put it, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
Quotes that contain the word “adaptable”
Adaptability is a great asset to have because life is so unpredictable, and things can change overnight for any of us. - Chanda Kochhar
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.” - George Bernard Shaw
“Adaptability is not imitation. It means the power of resistance and assimilation.”
- Mahatma Gandhi