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View synonyms for adopted

adopted

/ əˈdɒptɪd /

adjective

  1. having been adopted Compare adoptive

    an adopted child

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Example Sentences

If bacteriophages are so spectacular, why weren’t they adopted in the U.S. and many other Western nations?

From Salon

In 1985, a divided City Council adopted a resolution declaring Los Angeles a city of sanctuary for immigrants fleeing political persecution and violence, particularly refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala.

She told the court the pet had been adopted as a puppy in 2022.

From BBC

Panel co-chair Professor Leanne McCormick has said there is evidence of private nursing homes being used to house pregnant mothers, whose babies were then adopted.

From BBC

Still, there are times when their new house feels strangely unfamiliar to her, she says, like an "adopted space" which has not been lived in enough.

From BBC

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More About Adopted

What does adopted mean?

The adjective adopted is used to describe a person who has been permanently (and typically formally and legally) taken into the custody of an adult or adult couple who act as that person’s parent(s) or guardian(s).

The adjective adopted comes from the past tense form of adopt, which means to take someone in and act as their guardian in this way. The process of adopting is adoption. An adopted person can be called an adoptee.

Many adopted people used the adjective adopted as a way to identify that they are adopted, as in I’m adopted.

The adjective adoptive means related by adoption. A person’s adoptive family is the one they were adopted into. The word can also be applied to specific family members related by adoption, as in adoptive father and adoptive daughter. However, adoptive is most commonly used for parents, while adopted is more commonly applied to a child who has been adopted, as in Their adopted daughter is the newest addition to the family.

Adoption most commonly involves an adult couple or a single adult adopting and raising a child who is no longer in the custody of either of their birth parents (biological parents), such as in cases where they have died or are otherwise unable to care for the child.

Example: The organization provides support for adopted children and their families.

Where does adopted come from?

The first records of the word adopted as an adjective come from the 1400s. Its base word, adopt, comes from the Latin verb adoptāre, meaning “to choose for oneself,” from optāre, “to choose.”

Adoption of children is often pursued by people who are unable or who choose not to have biological children, but it can also involve families with their own children adopting other children into the family. A child can also be adopted by a relative, such as an aunt, uncle, or grandparent.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to adopted?

What are some synonyms for adopted?

What are some words that share a root or word element with adopted

What are some words that often get used in discussing adopted?

How is adopted used in real life?

The word adopted is commonly used by people who have been adopted to identify themselves as being adopted.

 

Try using adopted!

Is adopted used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m adopted, and I’ve never felt like I wasn’t a real part of the family.

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