nonadapted
|non-ad-apt-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnəˈdæptɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnəˈdæptɪd/
not made fit / not suited
Etymology
'nonadapted' originates from English, formed from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') and 'adapted' (from Latin 'adaptare'), where 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'aptare' meant 'to fit'.
'adapted' changed from Latin 'adaptare' to Old French 'adapter' and entered Middle English as 'adapt', later becoming 'adapted' in past-participial use; the negative prefix 'non-' was attached in modern English to create 'nonadapted'.
Initially the components meant 'not' + 'made to fit', and over time the compound has retained the basic sense of 'not made suitable' while being used in general, technical, and biological contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not adapted; not adjusted, modified, or made suitable for a particular environment, purpose, or set of conditions.
The nonadapted seedlings failed to survive the colder climate.
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Adjective 2
in biology or ecology, lacking evolutionary or physiological adaptations to a particular habitat or set of ecological pressures.
Nonadapted populations often decline rapidly when introduced predators arrive.
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Last updated: 2025/11/29 11:37