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5 minutes to distinguish between Adapt and Adopt in English

Adopt and Adapt are two words that are often confused in terms of meaning and usage. So how do you accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt? In today's article, PREP will explain in detail the differences between Adapt and Adopt, let's read now!

Distinguishing between 2 words Adapt and Adopt accurately

I. What is Adapt?

Before distinguishing between Adapt and Adopt, let's find out together with PREP what Adapt means and memorize some words/phrases associated with Adapt below!

1. Definition

What is adapt? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Adapt is pronounced as /əˈdæpt/. In a sentence, Adapt functions as a verb, meaning: to adjust to different conditions or uses, or to change to meet different situations. For example:

We had to adapt our plans to fit John's timetable.
It took me two months to adapt to the new job.

2. Words/phrases associated with Adapt

The phrases associated with Adapt are also often confused with Adopt. To accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt, let's memorize some words/phrases in the table below together with PREP:

Words/phrases associated with Adapt	Example
Adapt to change	A large organization can be slow to adapt to change.
Adapt to the conditions	The company was able to adapt to the conditions and enhance its position.

3. The structure with Adapt

Before going to distinguish between Adapt and Adopt, let's go through the 8 structures with Adapt and examples below!

The structure with Adapt	Example
Adapt something	The project has to be adapted to suit the current situation.
Adapt something for something	They adapted the software for mobile devices to meet the increasing demand for smartphone applications.
Adapt something from something	The film director adapted the plot from a best-selling novel to create a compelling screenplay.
Adapt something for something from something	The architect adapted the building design for the new environmental regulations from the original blueprints.
Adapt from	The fashion designer adapted her latest collection from vintage styles of the 1950s.
Adapt to something	Employees need to adapt to new technologies to stay competitive in the ever-evolving business environment.
Adapt to doing something	Peter has adapted very well to running a multinational.
Adapt yourself to something	Moving to a new country requires the ability to adapt yourself to a different culture and lifestyle.

II. What is Adopt?

To distinguish between Adapt and Adopt, let's find out together with PREP what Adopt means and memorize some words/phrases associated with Adopt below!

1. Definition

What is Adopt? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Adopt is pronounced as /əˈdɑːpt/. In a sentence, Adopt functions as a verb, meaning:

To legally take another person's child into your own family and take care of him or her as your own child. For example: They've adopted a baby girl.
Take an animal that has been left in a place such as a rescue centre, and keep it as your pet. For example: Only about 20 percent of all dogs and cats that come into the rescue center will be adopted.
To accept or start to use something new. For example: I think it's time to adopt a different strategy in my dealings with Jack.
To choose someone or something or take something as your own. For example: Dr Kennedy has been adopted as the party's candidate for South Cambridge.
To start to use a new method, system, law, etc. For example: The government adopted a resolution on disarmament.

2. Words/phrases associated with Adopt

Let's memorize some words/phrases related to Adopt together with PREP, to help you more accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt!

Words/phrases associated with Adopt	Example
Adopt an approach/ strategy/ policy	The company decided to adopt a customer-centric approach to enhance satisfaction and loyalty.
Adopt a measure/ system/ plan	In response to the safety concerns, the government chose to adopt strict measures to control traffic in the area.
Adopt a resolution/ regulation/ solution	During the meeting, the committee voted to adopt a resolution supporting environmental sustainability initiatives.
Adopt a name/ title/ language	When they officially founded the business, they decided to adopt the name "Innovatech" to reflect their focus on innovation.

3. Common structure with Adopt

Let’s explore some common structures of Adopt with examples below!

Common structure with Adopt	Example
S + adopt + Noun	Ms. Andrea adopted three children from the orphanage.
	The people adopted Jackson as their patron saint.
	The council is expected to adopt the new policy at its next meeting.

III. The differences between Adapt and Adopt

In the previous sections, PREP has provided an overview of knowledge about Adapt and Adopt. So based on what features can we accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt? Please check the table below!

	Adapt	Adopt
Pronunciation	/əˈdæpt/	/əˈdɑːpt/
Meaning	to adjust to different conditions or uses, or to change to meet different situations	to legally take another person's child into your own family and take care of him or her as your own child/ take an animal that has been left in a place such as a rescue centre, and keep it as your pet; to accept or start to use something new; to choose someone or something or take something as your own; to start to use a new method, system, law, etc.
Example	Jackson's family has to adapt to the new living environment.	Jackson's family adopted two cats from the rescue center last week.

IV. Exercises on distinguishing Adapt and Adopt with answers

To fully understand the usage and accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt, quickly complete the 2 exercises below together with PREP!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the appropriate word to fill in the blank and conjugate the verb form correctly: adopt or adapt

She often _______quickly to new situations.
The species gradually _______to the changing climate over several generations.
The team currently_______a collaborative approach to project management.
In the future, businesses will need to _______to the challenges posed by emerging technologies.
In the coming months, the government plans to_______stricter regulations to address environmental concerns.

Exercise 2: Find and correct mistakes

Right now, they are adopting the website to accommodate the new design changes.
Last week, the company adapted a new policy to improve employee work-life balance.
Last year, the organization adapted a more sustainable approach to its manufacturing processes.
She has adapted healthier eating habits for three months to improve her overall well-being.
Over the years, he has adopted his management style to better suit the needs of his team.

2. Answer

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
Adapts Adapted Is currently adopting Adapt Adopt	are adopting ➞ are adapting adapted ➞ adopted adapted ➞ adopted has adapted ➞ has adopted has adopted ➞ has adapted

PREP hopes that the article above has helped you understand the concepts and usage as well as accurately distinguish between Adapt and Adopt. Let’s follow PREP to get more quality English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.