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Topic: Usage Question: "adaptive" v. "adaptable"
| Author | Message |
| Yam | Posted – 4/8/2008 4:19:48 PM | show profile Hi MediaBistroers, I'm editing a long document for an educational organization and I'm having a usage issue. The writer has used the adjectives "adaptive" and "adaptable" pretty much interchangeably throughout the 120 pages I'm editing. After spending some time with multiple dictionaries, I'm still having trouble figuring out the difference myself. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Any definitive source on answering biology-related questions? Thanks in advance! |
| Upward Bound | Posted – 4/8/2008 9:04:51 PM | show profile I would use adaptive in cases where the object is able to adapt itself. Like how a blackberry that has two letters on each key eventually learns which words you are trying to type. Use adaptable for instances when the user must actively make an adjustment. Like a refrigerator door that can be instaled to open to the left of the right (but it won't magically do that itself). |
| Yam | Posted – 4/10/2008 1:41:13 PM | show profile Thanks, Upward Bound, that's a helpful way of looking at it! |
