adjustment

noun

ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt How to pronounce adjustment (audio)
plural adjustments
1
: the act or process of adjusting
2
: a settlement of a claim or debt in a case in which the amount involved is uncertain or full payment is not made
3
: the state of being adjusted
4
: a means (such as a mechanism) by which things are adjusted one to another
5
: a correction or modification to reflect actual conditions
6
chiropractic : the manual or mechanical manipulation of a joint (especially the spine) in which a controlled force is applied to the joint
A click of the instrument allows the practitioner to provide a quick and precise thrust to the spine, making the adjustment before the patient's muscular reflex can tense the body and interfere with the manipulation.Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing
adjustmental adjective

Examples of adjustment in a Sentence

The engine only needed a minor adjustment. She made some slight adjustments to the recipe. The engine only needed minor adjustment. Moving from the city to the country requires an adjustment. We went through a period of adjustment at the new school. The figures were calculated with no adjustments for inflation. The figures were calculated with no adjustment for inflation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The adjustments Serra touts were famously offered free for life in keeping with the founder’s marketing. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025 Johns & Waters made the adjustment and cruised to a four game win (10),5,3,3. Todd Boss, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 The big picture: The adjustment would be a boon for UnitedHealth Group, the country's largest Medicare Advantage insurer. Maya Goldman, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025 That phase will also involve some improvements to the property, including extending 3rd Street and making adjustments to allow utilities to service the vacant lot, which sits on a floodplain. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for adjustment 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French ajustement, going back to Middle French adjutement, adjustement, from adjuster "to adjust" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adjustment was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near adjustment

Cite this Entry

“Adjustment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adjustment. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

adjustment

noun
ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt How to pronounce adjustment (audio)
1
: the act or process of adjusting
2
: a settlement of a claim or debt
3
: the state of being adjusted
4
: a means of adjusting one part (as in a machine) in relation to another
an adjustment for focusing a microscope

Medical Definition

adjustment

noun
ad·​just·​ment ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt How to pronounce adjustment (audio)
1
: the act or process of adjusting: as
a
: the process of modifying one's behavior in changed circumstances or an altered environment in order to fulfill psychological, physiological, and social needs
b
: a functional and often transitory alteration by which an organism adapts to its immediate environment compare adaptation sense 2b
2
: a means (as a mechanism) by which things are adjusted one to another
adjustments for brightness
3
chiropractic : the manual or mechanical manipulation of a joint (especially of the spine) in which a controlled force is applied to the joint

More from Merriam-Webster on adjustment

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