Etymologically
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adjustment

Etymology and origin of the English word adjustment

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1644
Borrowed from
French ajustement

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈd͡ʒʌst.mənt/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French ajustement (Old French ajostement) or a native formation from adjust and -ment.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The process of adjusting, setting right or arranging: 1644 in the OED and Merriam-Webster, the 1640s in Etymonline.[4][3][2]

Semantic evolution

The state of being adjusted or put in order is from 1689,[4] and a means by which things are adjusted from 1736.[4] In commerce, the settlement of shares in a loss or claim is from about 1670.[4] A small correction or change is in modern dictionaries.[5]

Timeline

  • 1644 – the process of adjusting.[4]
  • c. 1670 – settlement of a claim.[4]
  • 1689 – the state of being adjusted.[4]
  • 1736 – a means of adjusting.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act of adjusting, or the state of being adjusted; a small change or correction.
  2. A device or control for adjusting something.
  3. The settlement of a debt or insurance claim.

Word family

  • adjustmental
  • self-adjustment
  • adjustment disorder
  • adjustable
  • adjuster
  • adjust
  • just
  • juxtapose

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Adjustment.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/adjustment. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·