Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Adaptive has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing adaptation; making or made fit or suitable.
"The adaptive design of the building allows it to easily accommodate changing community needs."
In plain English: Adaptive means able to change and adjust easily when things get different or harder than expected.
"The company's adaptive approach allowed them to quickly pivot when market conditions changed."
Usage: Use adaptive when describing something that changes effectively in response to new conditions, such as an algorithm adjusting its parameters. This word often replaces adaptable but emphasizes the successful result of fitting into a specific environment rather than just the potential to change.
The word adaptive comes from combining the verb adapt with the suffix -ive to describe something that is capable of adjustment. It entered English as a direct formation based on the existing concept of adapting to new conditions.