Adjustment is the act or process of changing something to fit new conditions or requirements, or the small alteration made to improve function or fit. It often implies a measured, deliberate change rather than a complete overhaul, and can apply to objects, systems, or behaviors. In usage, it signals a purposeful modification to achieve better alignment or performance.
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"The engineer suggested an adjustment to the hinge to reduce creaking."
"After noticing the draft, she made a quick adjustment to the window latch."
"The editor called for a slight adjustment in the spacing between paragraphs."
"Her adjustment to the new schedule took a few days, but she adapted smoothly."
The word adjustment derives from the Old French adjective ajuster, meaning to fit or bring into accord, and from the later noun adjustment. The root is late Latin adjustāre, from ad- ‘toward’ plus ijungāre ‘join’ (related to jungere ‘to yoke, join’). In Middle English, adjust meant to set in order or arrange. The modern sense of making modifications to fit conditions developed in the 17th–18th centuries, expanding from physical alignment to include policy, accounting, and behavioral changes. The etymological development parallels that shift from concrete alignment to more abstract modifications in systems, devices, or plans. First known uses appear in early printed English texts around the 16th to 17th centuries, with the sense of ‘to adjust’ as a transitive verb and ‘adjustment’ as the noun form emerging as a natural derivative in the 17th–18th centuries in technical and mechanical discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "adjustment" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "adjustment" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "adjustment"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Stress falls on the second syllable: /ʌˈdʒʌst.mənt/. Start with a light schwa on the first syllable, then the /dʒ/ as in judge, followed by /ʌ/ in the second syllable, then /st/ with a crisp /t/ before the final /mənt/. The final syllable is unstressed, ending with /mənt/. In IPA: US/UK: ʌˈdʒʌst.mənt.
Common errors include over‑emphasizing the first syllable so the word sounds like /ˈædʒʌst.mənt/ or mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /d/ + /ʒ/. Another frequent slip is weakening the /t/, making it /dż/ or merging it with /m/ at the end. To correct: keep the second syllable stressed with /ʌ/, articulate /dʒ/ clearly as /dʒ/ (like judge), enunciate the /t/ crisply before the final /mənt/ and avoid t-voicing into /d/.
All three show /ʌ/ in the first strong syllable, but rhoticity and vowel qualities differ: US often rhymes more with /ʊ/ in some speakers, UK tends toward non‑rhotic /ɜː/ in some contexts? Actually 'adjustment' vowels remain /ʌ/ in stressed first vowel; rhoticity affects only connected speech after /r/. In US, you may hear a more pronounced /ɒ/? No. The main difference is in the /ɔː/ kind if any? For this word, main variation is rhythm and vowel quality; AU mirrors UK, generally non-rhotic; US may have slightly tenser vowel qualities in /ʌ/. The core segments /əˈdʒʌst.mənt/ (US) vs /ˌəˈdʒʌst.mənt/? The main difference is US tends to reduced first vowel slightly more in connected speech.
The difficulty stems from the /dʒ/ cluster following a weak first vowel and the /t/ leading into the final /mənt/. The sequence /dʒ/ combines affricate release with a short, unreduced second vowel, and the final /mənt/ has a light Schwa before a nasal stop, which can blur in fluent speech. Paying attention to the crisp /t/ before /mənt/ helps keep cadence and prevents linking into the /n/. Understanding the timing of syllable stress also prevents rushing the final syllable.
A distinctive feature is the sequence of the weak-strong-weak stress with two syllables carrying emphasis by rhythm: the primary stress on the second syllable /ʒʌst/. Visualize it as a three-beat rhythm: a quick, unstressed first syllable, a strong middle onset /dʒ/ with /ʌ/ then /st/ and a light final /mənt/. The subtle smoothing of the /st/ cluster and avoidance of an intrusive /ɪ/ between /ʌ/ and /st/ helps clean articulation.
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