Adaptation vs. Acclimatization — What's the Difference?

In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness.

Acclimatization or acclimatisation (also called acclimation or acclimatation) is the process in which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its environment (such as a change in altitude, temperature, humidity, photoperiod, or pH), allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions. Acclimatization occurs in a short period of time (hours to weeks), and within the organism's lifetime (compared to adaptation, which is evolution, taking place over many generations).

The act or process of adapting.

The physiological adaptation of an organism to changes in climate or environment, such as light, temperature, or altitude.

The state of being adapted.

The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured.

Something, such as a device or mechanism, that is changed or changes so as to become suitable to a new or special application or situation.

(biology) The climatic adaptation of an organism that has been moved to a new environment.

A composition that has been recast into a new form

The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured.

Change or adjustment in structure or habits by which a species becomes better able to function in its environment, occurring through the course of evolution by means of natural selection.

Adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment)

A structure or habit that results from this process.

(Physiology) The responsive adjustment of a sense organ, such as the eye, to varying conditions, such as light intensity.

Change in behavior of a person or group in response to new or modified surroundings.

(uncountable) The process of adapting something or becoming adapted to a situation; adjustment, modification.

(countable) A change that is made or undergone to suit a condition or environment.

The process of change that an organism undergoes to be better suited to its environment.

An instance of an organism undergoing change, or the structure or behavior that is changed.

(uncountable) The process of adapting an artistic work from a different medium.

An artistic work that has been adapted from a different medium.

(sociology) The means by which social groups adapt to different social and physical environments.

The act or process of adapting, or fitting; or the state of being adapted or fitted; fitness.

The result of adapting; an adapted form.

A written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form;

The process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)

(physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light)