maladaptive

/ˌmæləˈdæptɪv/

//ˌmæləˈdæptɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"maladaptive" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“maladaptive” is uncommon English (frequency #65,284 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,284
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of behavior, showing inadequate or counterproductive mental and behavioral adaptation to a new situation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-maladaptive · maladaptive · English

maladaptive · rank #65,284 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,284
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Magnuson

Nearest frequency peer: Magnuson (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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.

Long-tail ranks near “maladaptive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “maladaptive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for maladaptive
PropertyValue
Headwordmaladaptive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌmæləˈdæptɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#65,284
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “maladaptive” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).maladaptivefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Magnuson” (#65,283), “mancha” (#65,286), “lymphocytic” (#65,279). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “maladaptive” is #65,284. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

maladaptive is uncommon English at frequency #65,284 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌmæləˈdæptɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

maladaptive doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mal- + adaptive. The correct English form is maladaptive, spelled M-A-L-A-D-A-P-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of behavior, showing inadequate or counterproductive mental and behavioral adaptation to a new situation.
  2. 2
    Of anatomy, physiology, or behavior, showing inadequate or counterproductive evolutionary adaptation to an environment or its changes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It seemed likely that in the apparently maladaptive responses of workers to computer-based technology (what many called “resistance to change”), it would be possible to trace a lineage of ordinary assumptions that referred back to the realities of the past and their points of disjuncture with the future.
  2. The learned helplessness explanation of sex differences in depression would be supported if it was shown that a greater degree of uncontrollability and a more maladaptive explanatory style in women account for any sex differences observed in depression in the sample.

Etymology

From mal- + adaptive.

This word in other languages

ungeschickt(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "maladaptive"?
"maladaptive" is spelled M-A-L-A-D-A-P-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌmæləˈdæptɪv/.
What does "maladaptive" mean?
As an adjective, "maladaptive" means: Of behavior, showing inadequate or counterproductive mental and behavioral adaptation to a new situation.
How do you pronounce "maladaptive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maladaptive" is /ˌmæləˈdæptɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "maladaptive"?
From mal- + adaptive. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "maladaptive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lymphocytic#65,279microtubule#65,309incoherence#65,205Paralympian#65,385

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list