A reminder to avoid confusion:

  • to adopt is to start, to take over, to follow
    • Parliament adopted the amendment
    • Banks adopted new risk-management policies
  • to adapt is to change, to modify, to adjust
    • When circumstances change, regulations must adapt
    • Supply arrangements had to adapt to just-in-time practices

The two expressions can be used in conjunction, even in the same sentence:

  • In order to adapt to increasing insolvencies, banks adopted more loan-review procedures

The noun forms differ:

  • An adoption usually refers to the assumption of parental responsibilities by someone other than the birth mother or father
  • An adaptation is a reworking or rewriting, for example an abridged or translated version of a book

Finally, a person or organization is adept when he, she, or it is skillful.

  • The trade association adeptly adopted new guidelines to adapt to the new rules on sharing sales and pricing information