Adaptation is the process of changing to fit new conditions or environments. When your family moves to a new city, you adapt by learning your way around, making new friends, and getting used to different routines. When you start a challenging math class, you adapt by developing new study habits and problem-solving strategies.

In biology, adaptation means something more specific: the way living things change over many generations to survive better in their environment. Polar bears have thick white fur that keeps them warm and helps them blend into the snow. Cacti store water in their thick stems so they can survive in deserts. These biological adaptations happened slowly, over thousands or millions of years, as traits that helped survival got passed down through generations.

The word also appears in entertainment: when a book becomes a movie, that movie is an adaptation of the original story. The filmmakers adapt the book by changing it to work better on screen, perhaps shortening some scenes or adding visual details that weren't in the text.

Being adaptable, the ability to adjust when circumstances change, is a valuable quality. Some people resist change and may struggle when things don't go as planned, while adaptable people find ways to succeed even when facing unexpected challenges.