Exaptation

[ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn]

/[ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn]/ noun

The verdict

“Exaptation” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Nutzbarmachung einer Eigenschaft für eine Funktion, für die sie ursprünglich nicht entstanden war

Corpus desk

Index DE-exaptation · Exaptation · German

Exaptation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Exaptation
PropertyValue
HeadwordExaptation
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Exaptation“ im Deutschen

Exaptationsitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Exaptation is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Nutzbarmachung einer Eigenschaft für eine Funktion, für die sie ursprünglich nicht entstanden war".

No generated misspelling entries exist for Exaptation in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Exaptation, spelled E-X-A-P-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nutzbarmachung einer Eigenschaft für eine Funktion, für die sie ursprünglich nicht entstanden war

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how Exaptation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Statt nach irgendeiner anatomischen Neuerung sollten wir vielleicht nach einer Art kulturellen Auslöser für die Entstehung unseres außergewöhnlichen Denkvermögens suchen. Wenn das moderne menschliche Gehirn mit all seinen Möglichkeiten zusammen mit der modernen Schädelform vor etwa 150 000 bis 100 000 Jahren entstanden ist, hätte es für eine beträchliche…

Synonyms

PräadaptationPräaption

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Exaptation"?
"Exaptation" is spelled E-X-A-P-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn].
What does "Exaptation" mean?
As a noun, "Exaptation" means: Nutzbarmachung einer Eigenschaft für eine Funktion, für die sie ursprünglich nicht entstanden war
How do you pronounce "Exaptation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Exaptation" is [ɛksaptaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Exaptation" come from?
"Exaptation" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list