adaptednessn.

1673 R. Ferguson Enq. Moral Virtue i. 117 Inability and aversation to good, and positive inclination and adaptedness to evil, ensue on the loss of that Rectitude which disposed us to live to God.

1698 R. Ferguson View of Ecclesiastick in Socks & Buskins 18 Their adaptedness for their employ.

1747 J. Barnard Imperfection of Creature v. 109 I shall therefore confine myself unto such Thoughts, as shew us the original Intention, and peculiar Adaptedness, of the divine Commandment, to perfect our Nature.

1792 T. Odiorne Progress of Refinement iii. 105 Beauty, extrinsical, is but a name; A gift of nature; an adaptedness To please the fancy, or delight the eye.

1800 W. Taylor in J. W. Robberds Mem. W. Taylor (1843) I. 327 The adaptedness of one rhythm or form of stanza for one purpose, and of another for a different purpose, is wholly, or nearly so, the result of association.

1875 W. D. Whitney Life & Growth Lang. xiv. 293 When the time for the use came, the perception of its adaptedness..necessarily followed.

1913 W. E. Kellicott Textbk. Gen. Embryol. iii. 102 The adaptedness of the reproductive phenomena toward ensuring the final bringing to maturity of a number of organisms sufficient to maintain the specific group in undiminished numbers is a general biological topic of especial interest.

1999 K. Sterelny & P. E. Griffiths Sex & Death xii. 283 Its central idea is that organisms differ in their degree of adaptedness to their worlds.