Synonyms

adopt

American

[uh-dopt] / əˈdɒpt /

verb (used with object)

to choose or take as one's own; make one's own by selection or assent.

to adopt a nickname.
to take responsibility for raising (someone else’s biological child) as one's own, specifically by a formal legal act.

After more than 300 days in foster care, the twins were adopted by a family that was able to keep the siblings together.
to acquire (a pet, especially one from an animal rescue organization).

Local animal rescue groups use social media to persuade people to adopt dogs and cats from them instead of purchasing puppies and kittens from pet shops or breeders.
to take or receive into any kind of new relationship.

to adopt a person as a protégé.
to select as a basic or required textbook or series of textbooks in a course.
to vote to accept.

The House adopted the report.
to accept or act in accordance with (a plan, principle, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to take a nonbiological child into one’s home and raise as one’s own.
to acquire a pet, especially one from an animal rescue organization.

“Adopt! Don’t shop!” is the popular slogan promoted by one nonprofit animal advocacy group.

verb phrase

adopt out to place in a home by means of adoption.

The shelter provides basic medical care and vaccinations to the animals they will be adopting out.

adopt British

/ əˈdɒpt /

verb

law to bring (a person) into a specific relationship, esp to take (another's child) as one's own child
to choose and follow (a plan, technique, etc)
to take over (an idea, etc) as if it were one's own
to take on; assume

to adopt a title
to accept (a report, etc)

"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

Usage

What does adopt mean? To adopt is to take another parent’s child into one’s custody, typically in a formal legal way, in order to permanently act as their parent or guardian. This 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. This sense of adopt can also be used in reference to adopting an animal as a pet, such as from an animal shelter. The word is especially used this way when the animal had a previous caretaker. Adopt and the noun form adoption have many other more general meanings. Most generally, adopt means to choose or take as one's own. It can also mean to accept something or vote to approve it. In all cases, adoption is the act or process of adopting, or the state of having adopted. To adopt a tradition or religion is to make it one’s own. To adopt a plan is to approve it and act according to its steps. Similarly, to adopt a law is to formally vote to approve it and take steps to follow and enforce it. Example: We’ve found an agency that will help us to adopt.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of adopt

First recorded 1490–1500; late Middle English adopten, partly from Middle French adopter, partly from Latin adoptāre, equivalent to ad- verb prefix + optāre “to desire, pray for”; see ad-, opt

Explanation

You can adopt an air of nonchalance, a fake British accent, or even a stray dog. When you adopt something, you consciously select it and accept it as your own. The word adopt has many different shades of meaning, but most relate to the notion of taking something on and treating it as if it’s your own. You’re probably familiar with what happens if you adopt a child: you take on parental responsibilities and accept the child as if it’s your own. You can adopt other things — such as a plan, a method, or a point of view — in a similar way. For example, when you adopt a particular attitude — such as a respectful attitude — you select that as a way to present yourself and behave as if it is natural.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing adopt

It's All in the Family

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Commonly Confused Words, List 1

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 3

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

adopt adopts adopted adopting

“This runs through a written employer plan. If your company doesn’t adopt one, there’s nothing to elect,” Chancey said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

All leagues and competitions in English professional football will adopt a new trial to try to eradicate it.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Afterward, students demanded the school adopt the Cutters nickname because those players had won the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He calls for other companies to adopt similar structures, and says there should be “an industrywide version of this process.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

He doesn’t even bother to look up from his phone—probably too busy reading about how to legally adopt an athlete, a politician, or some other person as extraordinary as he is.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

The outfit partners with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles, a nonprofit that rescues and adopts out homeless cats and kittens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Cardiff University said it was sorry that "any student felt unsafe" on campus and that it adopts a "zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination of all kinds".

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The article mentions antisemitism as one possible cause and quotes others who identify it directly, but PEN itself never adopts antisemitism as the central explanation for the pattern its reporting reveals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Chowdhury, a queer artist who enjoys sampling performance modes, adopts the figure of the grieving Bollywood widow.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

He adopts the “do nothing” method of therapy.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

A similar mentality seems to have been adopted by some Southampton fans, who were chanting "we'll spy when we want" in their Carabao Cup opener against Colchester on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“It’s like if Fred Again, Skrillex, Frank Ocean, Mora and Bad Bunny adopted a child and raised him,” said Cabrera about their own music, which they began uploading to the streaming platform Soundcloud in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

A similar strategy has been adopted in neighboring Mississippi.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Unitree was founded in 2016 by Wang Xingxing and became known for its quadruped robots, which were adopted by many researchers for their tests.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

I couldn’t stop wondering about who my biological parents were, what tribe they were from, or why I was adopted in the first place.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

California campaigns have long been at the forefront of adopting new technologies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

More police forces are adopting A.I. facial scanners; the tech is being piloted in schools, buses, and stores as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

Peter Corrigan, a former business professor and retired auto-industry executive, conducted his own analysis of the school’s finances and criticized leaders for adopting “a laissez faire attitude.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

But does Hogh's arrival suggest the club are adopting a quality-over-quantity approach?

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

They had tried to have a kid for years; then Tariq ended up putting his energy into adopting a blue-nose pit bull from the local shelter.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023