Etymologically
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adjustable

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 03:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /əˈd͡ʒʌstəbəl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English adjust + -able.[2][3][4][5] The verb adjust is borrowed from Middle French adjuster, now ajuster, from a- and juste (“just”), according to the OED;[2] Etymonline traces the older Middle English verb to Late Latin adiuxtō (“to bring near”), from iuxtā (“next, close by”), with its form influenced by a folk association with iūstus (“just”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Capable of being adjusted: 1768, in J. Stonhouse.[2][4] Etymonline dates it from 1775,[3] and Dictionary.com from 1765–75.[5]

Semantic evolution

The adjective follows the senses of the verb, but it is used above all of things whose position or setting can be changed, such as seats or tools.[2][6] The noun adjustability is recorded in MWU and the Oxford Dictionary of English.[4][6]

Timeline

  • 1768 – able to be adjusted.[2][4]
  • 1775 – Etymonline's first date.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Able to be adjusted, set or altered to suit a need: an adjustable desk lamp.[6][4][2]

Word family

  • adjustably
  • unadjustable
  • nonadjustable
  • adjustable spanner

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press