adoptable

[ uh-dop-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being adopted; suitable or eligible for adoption:

   an adoptable child; a resolution found to be adoptable.

noun

1. a child who is considered suitable for adoption:

   fewer adoptables than in previous years.

Other Words From

• a·dopta·bili·ty noun
• nona·dopta·ble adjective
• una·dopta·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of adoptable¹

First recorded in 1835–45; adopt + -able

Example Sentences

Petfinder, the ubiquitous classifieds site for adoptable dogs, was founded in 1996—right on the heels of Craigslist and Match, the year before—and similarly revolutionized how people found pets.

From Time

These pipelines of adoptable animals—primarily, but not exclusively, moving from south to north—have become a cultural phenomenon in their own right, and a key part of a broader transformation of companion-animal welfare.

From Time

This fall, Hill’s Pet Nutrition has partnered with NBCUniversal Local to sponsor the Clear The Shelters initiative, which aims to pair more people up with adoptable dogs across the nation and helps them become the best possible dog parents.

From Outside Online

Anyone watching Cindy’s tail wag live on Petco’s Facebook page, part of an event this past April, could shop for the vest and other items in real-time as adoptable dogs modeled them on the livestream.

From Quartz

This will be one of the biggest barriers Microsoft faces in making Mesh widely adoptable, as even getting the price down to half or a third of where it’s at now would leave the hardware out of reach for most consumers.

From Singularity Hub 

There are, to a first approximation, zero healthy adoptable babies in the US foster care system.

From The Daily Beast

I didn't cherry pick this list; it's the first page of search results for adoptable, relatively young kids.

From The Daily Beast

Rescue groups and individuals have come forward stating that the animals they gave PETA were healthy and adoptable.

From The Daily Beast

Genetic traits are identified and matched in the genetic banks of adoptable children.

From Project Gutenberg