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adoptive
/ əˈdɒptɪv /
adjective
- acquired or related by adoption
an adoptive father
- of or relating to adoption Compare adopted
Usage Note
Other Words From
- a·doptive·ly adverb
- una·doptive adjective
- una·doptive·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
Angela’s sons and their adoptive parents had stayed in touch with her - writing letters and sending photos once or twice a year.
The Norfolk Adoption Service said it had 10 single children, aged between one and five, in need of adoptive parents.
Ms Welch called on China to “keep the promises made to the children already matched with adoptive parents”.
Her adoptive mother quickly noticed her obsession with ballet and enrolled her in classes.
“We saw her photo, and we were clear - a baby once abandoned cannot be abandoned twice,” says her adoptive father Gaurav, an officer in the Indian air force.
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More About Adoptive
What does adoptive mean?
Adoptive means related by adoption—the process of taking another parent’s child into one’s custody, typically in a formal legal way, in order to permanently act as their parent or guardian. To do so is to adopt.
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 the adjective 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. More generally, adoptive can be used to describe things involving adoption.
The word adopt is also used in more general ways. It can mean to choose or take as one’s own (such as to adopt a new tradition) or to accept something or vote to approve it (such as to adopt a plan or law). Adoptive can also mean tending to adopt in these ways, but this sense is not very commonly used.
Example: I consider my adoptive family my real family, but I still want to have a relationship with my birth parents.
Where does adoptive come from?
The first records of the word adoptive 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. A person who has been adopted can be referred to as an adoptee. Adoptees can refer to their family as their adoptive family, or just their family.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to adoptive?
- adopt (verb)
What are some synonyms for adoptive?
What are some words that share a root or word element with adoptive?
What are some words that often get used in discussing adoptive?
How is adoptive used in real life?
Adoptive is most commonly used to describe families and parents.
Imagine having to leave everything you know behind. Family, friends, pets, home – all in one go. It's what we see adopted children go through every day.
Zara, an adoptive parent, shares how she's helped her adopted children "settle in": https://t.co/stALK0zuPq
— Action for Children (@actnforchildren) October 26, 2020
Have you ever adopted a child? Do you come from an adoptive family? It can be a bittersweet experience for those involved.
This week, @piya wades into some of the things we don't tend to discuss when we talk about adoption.https://t.co/149UUyhJ93
— CBC's Out in the Open (@cbcopen) August 17, 2019
My adoptive mother passed away three years ago today. Captain in the US Army, veteran, Registered Nurse, and not a day goes by that I don't think about her. This is the last known photograph of her. 😢 https://t.co/deIdKNEAyt pic.twitter.com/iviq0tnXu7
— 𝔾𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 (@cityrider49) October 22, 2020
Try using adoptive!
Is adoptive used correctly in the following sentence?
People ask me what I call my adoptive mother—I call her Mom.
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