What does adapter mean?
An adapter is a device designed to connect two things that are otherwise incompatible — most commonly electrical devices whose plugs do not match available outlets, but also cables, pipes, camera lenses, and other mechanical or electronic components. By extension, the word also describes a person who adapts a literary or dramatic work into a different medium, such as turning a novel into a screenplay. Derived from the Latin verb adaptare, meaning 'to fit,' the term entered English in the seventeenth century alongside related words like adaptation and adaptable. In modern usage, adapter is overwhelmingly associated with hardware: power adapters, AC adapters, and travel adapters are among the most frequently referenced forms. Its connotations are practical and neutral — adapters solve compatibility problems rather than carrying emotional weight. A useful word for travelers, engineers, and readers alike, it captures the simple idea of making one thing fit another.
A device that connects two incompatible things, especially one that allows an electrical plug to fit an outlet of a different type.
"He packed a universal power adapter before flying to London."
This is by far the dominant sense in contemporary usage.
A person who adapts a written or performed work into a different medium or format.
"The adapter of the stage version condensed the novel into a two-hour play."
Less common than the device sense; typically used in literary, theatrical, and film contexts.
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple devices or multiple people who adapt works.
"The hotel lobby had a drawer full of adapters guests had left behind."
The word 'adapter' comes from the Latin 'adaptare' — to fit — which is why it's the perfect name for anything that makes mismatched things fit together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adapter
Adapter derives from the Latin verb adaptare, formed from ad- ('to, toward') plus aptare ('to fit'), itself rooted in aptus ('fit, suitable'). The word entered English in the early seventeenth century as part of a family of terms including adapt, adaptation, and adaptable. It shares its Latin root with adept, which came through Latin adeptus ('one who has attained'). The device sense of adapter developed later, becoming widespread with the growth of electrical technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Related word forms
How adapter is actually used
In technical and everyday contexts, 'adapter' almost always refers to a physical device. The spelling 'adapter' dominates in American English; British English accepts both spellings with no difference in meaning.
Easily confused with adapter
Adaptor is simply a variant spelling of the same word; 'adapter' is the more common spelling in American English, while 'adaptor' appears somewhat more often in British English.