Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “adjustment” come from?

Adjustment comes from French ajustement, formed with the Old French suffix -ment (from Latin -mentum) added to a root ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- meaning to think or intend.

adjustment (English): The action of adjusting something; The result of...

Definitions

  1. The action of adjusting something; The result of...

Ancestry of “adjustment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchajustementadjustment, adjusting, tweak
2Frenchajusterto adjust; tweak
3Frenchjustefair, just; reasonable, appropriate, grounded;...
4Old Frenchjuste—
5Latiniūstus—
6Latiniūs—
7Latindīcō—
8Latin-tiō—
9Latindissertātiō—
10Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
11Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
12Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
13Latincalceusshoe
14Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
15Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “adjustment”

  • readjustment
  • maladjustment
  • misadjustment
  • preadjustment
  • overadjustment
  • nonadjustment
  • microadjustment
  • adjustmental
  • coadjustment
  • autoadjustment
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →