adoptee

American  

[uh-dop-tee, ad-op-] / ə dɒpˈti, ˌæd ɒp- /

noun

1. a person who is adopted.

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Usage

What does adoptee mean? An adoptee is 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). In other words, an adoptee is someone who has been adopted. The process of adopting is adoption. Many adoptees 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. Adoptee is only used for the person who has been adopted. 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 adoptees and their families.

Etymology

Origin of adoptee

First recorded in 1890–95; adopt + -ee

Explanation

Someone who has been legally welcomed into a new family, who offers them love and a permanent home, is referred to as an adoptee. Just as a cherished book finds a new home on a different bookshelf, an adoptee is someone who has been welcomed into a new family through adoption. This new chapter provides love and belonging, regardless of biological ties. The term adoptee focuses on the experience and perspective of the person adopted, highlighting their integral role in the family’s story. It’s a heartwarming reminder that families are built on love, not just genetics.

Example Sentences

Then in September, China announced that it was putting a stop to international adoptions, including cases where families were already matched with adoptee children.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2024

Lillian McKenzie’s mother is Jewish; her father is a Korean adoptee raised by white Presbyterian parents.

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2024

Can Isiah’s views on racial justice, colored by his perspective as an adoptee raised by a white family, survive the rise of Black Lives Matter?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024

Mr. Strand, himself an adoptee from Indonesia, has documented several cases of irregularities in Norway’s foreign adoptions.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

He called Mama by my last name, not knowing that I was an informal adoptee.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers