adoption

noun

adop·​tion ə-ˈdäp-shən 

plural adoptions

1

: the act or process of adopting someone or something: such as

a

: the act or process of adopting a child

couples who are interested in adoption

About three-quarters of private domestic adoptions are now "open," involving some degree of ongoing contact between adoptive parents, adoptees and the birth family …

—Sydney Trent

b

: the act or process of adopting an animal as a pet

dogs and cats available for adoption

The global pandemic saw a boom in pet adoptions …

—scoop.co.nz

c

: the act of beginning to practice or use something

the adoption of new technology

The versatility of the henley shirt can be seen in its early adoption by rowers and how it has been worn since.

—Emma Fraser

d

: the act or process of giving official acceptance or approval to something

the adoption of measures to reduce emissions

2

: the state or condition of being adopted

She is their daughter by adoption.

Examples of adoption in a Sentence

the company wants to speed up its adoption of new technology.

Our adoption of local customs has gone slowly.

The lawyer has handled countless adoptions.

children who are available for adoption

the unanimous adoption of the resolution by the Senate

Recent Examples on the Web

Just as Apple’s adoption of RCS had seemed to signal a return to text messaging versus the unstoppable growth of WhatsApp, then along comes a surprising new hurdle to stop that in its tracks. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

These employees will be allowed to take leave to care for a newborn child or for the adoption of a child younger than 18 years old, county officials said. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 2024

To achieve that goal, Biden directed various federal agencies to undertake rules on new emission and fuel standards designed to speed adoption of electric vehicles. —Jarrett Renshaw and Alexandra Ulmer, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024

The adoption of Sunoco Green E15 has been well-received, with NASCAR recently celebrating more than 20 million competition miles driven on this environmentally friendlier fuel. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adopcioun, borrowed from Anglo-French adopciun, borrowed from Latin adoptiōn-, adoptiō, from ad- ad- + optiōn-, optiō "right to choose, choice, option entry 1"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing adoption

• open adoption
• put/give the baby up for adoption

Kids Definition

adoption

noun

adop·​tion ə-ˈdäp-shən 

: the act of adopting : the state of being adopted