adaptivenessn.
/əˈdaptɪvnᵻs/, U.S. /əˈdæptɪvnᵻs/ The quality of being able to adapt; the capacity or tendency to adapt, esp. to one's circumstances or environment.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > [noun] > capability of
adaptability1661
flexibility1783
elasticity1801
adaptiveness1815
adaptableness1833
adaptivity1840
adjustability1849
the world > action or operation > behaviour > adaptability to circumstances > [noun]
accommodableness1663
adaptation1787
accommodativeness1834
appliancy1836
adaptivity1840
adaptativeness1841
adaptiveness1863
adjustment1881
1815 Monthly Mag. Sept. 114 (orthographical wordlist) Adaptiveness.
1828 Atlas 15 June 377/3 He seems particularly happy in infusing the idiom of the patois into the indescribable language of Yorkshire and Somersetshire; a merit..in which we perceive a very singular description of philological adaptiveness.
1863 J. C. Jeaffreson Sir Everard's Daughter xiii. 221 The man had..a subtle adaptiveness as well as sincere desire to please.
1878 C. Stanford Symbols Christ (new ed.) vi. 172 The Saviour's words have minutely particular adaptiveness to every moment of the soul's history.
1928 F. R. Tennant Philos. Theol. II. iii. 69 In plants phenomenal science can discover no instincts, reflexes, etc., though adaptiveness is sometimes as impressive in them as in the animal kingdom.
1972 W. A. Pantin Oxf. Life iv. 38 The greater flexibility and adaptiveness of college teaching.
2006 J. T. Costa Other Insect Societies iv. 99 Acridologists have debated the adaptiveness of phase polymorphism for decades.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1815