Standard Lemma guide

exaptation

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɛk.səpˈteɪ.ʃən/
  • General-American: /ˌɛk.sæpˈteɪ.ʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The use of a biological structure or function for a purpose other than that for which it initially evolved.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: evolutionary theory

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

Examples

  • Birds initially developed wings and feathers as a means of heat regulation. The use of wings for flight is an example of exaptation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The promotion of meaningless or redundant material so that it does new grammatical (morphosyntactic or phonological) or semantic work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex-der. Middle French ex-bor. Middle English ex- English ex- Proto-Indo-European *h2éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Italic *aptos Latin aptus Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin apiō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus ▲ Latin -ō Latin -tō Latin aptō Latin adaptō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Medieval Latin adaptātiōbor. French adaptationbor. English adaptation blend English exaptation Blend of ex- + adaptation. Coined 1982 by palaeontologists Stephen Jay Gould and Elisabeth Vrba to avoid the perceived teleological baggage of the existing term preadaptation.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Italian: exattamento — use of a biological structure or function for a purpose other than that for which it initially evolved
  • Italian: riuso — use of a biological structure or function for a purpose other than that for which it initially evolved
  • Polish: egzaptacja — use of a biological structure or function for a purpose other than that for which it initially evolved