An adaptable business object can include a generic, content-free, and meaning-free skeleton business object, which can be used to create a new business object without requiring that a user be proficient in a development environment such as a software development kit (SDK). Definitions of a first field to be added to a header of the adaptable business object and a second field to be added to an item node of the adaptable business object can be received via a field extensibility tool, and a terminology tool can adapt the adaptable business object by storing metadata relating to the terminology of the business object in a metadata repository such that screen and section titles for at least one user interface screen supported by the new business object can be presented at runtime using the stored metadata.