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adaptation

ad-ap-TAY-shun /ˌæd.æpˈteɪ.ʃən/

nounB2SATTOEFLIELTS

neutral

A movie, television drama, or play that has been rewritten or re-imagined from a pre-existing book, play, or story source.

Requires restructuring literary source materials into visual, cinematic storytelling.

The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'adaptare' ('to fit to'). From 'ad-' (towards) + 'aptus' (fit, suitable). It shifted from biological and general contexts into film study as cinema began adapting Victorian novels in the early 1900s.

Word relationships

interpretation: Interpretation emphasizes artistic personal understanding, while adaptation emphasizes transferring material across media formats.
translation: Translation usually means language change, whereas adaptation implies media medium conversion.

original screenplay: A film script conceived purely from scratch without source material.

Commonly confused with

adoption: Adoption means taking something as one's own, while adaptation means altering material to fit a new medium.

Word family

adapt (verb): To adjust or convert for a new medium.
adaptability (noun): The quality of being adaptable.

Collocations

faithful adaptation
screen adaptation
film adaptation
loose adaptation

Example sentences

"The film was a faithful adaptation of the classic novel, keeping all major plot points intact." Film Review
"Writing a successful adaptation requires distilling hundreds of pages into two hours of screen time." Screenwriting

Memory hook

ADAPT-ation: ADAPTing a book to FIT the screen. Fitting a book to screen.

When not to use

Do not call a completely original, un-sourced script an adaptation.

Fun facts

The Academy Awards have given out a specific Oscar for 'Best Adapted Screenplay' every year since the 1st Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.