What does adjustable mean?
Adjustable is an adjective describing something that can be changed or adapted to meet different needs, sizes, positions, or conditions. It appears constantly in everyday life: chairs with adjustable seats, straps with adjustable buckles, wrenches with adjustable jaws, and desks whose height can be raised or lowered. In finance, an adjustable-rate mortgage carries an interest rate that changes over time rather than staying fixed. The word carries a broadly positive connotation, suggesting versatility, convenience, and user control — an adjustable product is one designed to accommodate different bodies, tasks, or circumstances. It derives from the verb adjust, which traces back through French ajouter-related forms to Latin adjuxtare, meaning to bring close to or set right. Its natural opposites are fixed, rigid, and inflexible. Whether describing hardware, clothing, financial instruments, or even abstract arrangements like schedules and expectations, adjustable signals flexibility built into design.
adjectiveAble to be changed or adapted to suit different conditions, needs, or preferences; capable of being altered in position, size, degree, or character.
- (Of an object or mechanism) able to be changed or set to different positions, sizes, or levels to suit a user's needs.
- (More generally) able to be modified or adapted to fit varying conditions or requirements.
"The chair has an adjustable backrest that tilts to any angle you like."
"She raised the adjustable seat until her feet rested flat on the floor."
"The loan carries an adjustable interest rate that shifts with the market every six months."
That humble adjustable wrench on your workbench? Its jaws were patented in 1888 — and it's still the single most versatile tool most people own.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adjustable
Adjustable derives from the verb adjust, which entered English from French ajuster, ultimately rooted in the Late Latin adjuxtare, formed from ad- (toward) and juxta (near), meaning to bring near or set right. The adjective form developed in English by the early modern period as a natural derivative of the verb. It shares its Latin root with words such as adjustment, adjudicate, and just, all of which carry the underlying sense of correctness, fittingness, or bringing things into proper relation.
Related word forms
How adjustable is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday and technical contexts. Especially frequent in product descriptions (furniture, tools, clothing) and finance (adjustable-rate mortgages). The adverb "adjustably" and noun "adjustability" exist but are far less common than the adjective itself.
Easily confused with adjustable
"Adjusted" describes something that has already been changed, while "adjustable" describes something that is capable of being changed.