adoptee

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.

The first records of the word adoptee come from the 1800s. Its base word, adopt, comes from the Latin verb adoptāre, meaning “to choose for oneself,” from optāre, “to choose.” The suffix -ee is used to form nouns that are the object of the action specified by the base verb, as in employee and addressee.

Adoptees are often adopted by people who are unable or who choose not to have biological children, but adoption can also involve families with their own children adopting other children into the family. An adoptee can also be adopted by a relative, such as an aunt, uncle, or grandparent.

What are some other forms related to adoptee?

• adopt (verb)

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

• adoption
• adopted
• adoptive
• opt
• option

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

• child
• daughter
• son
• family
• pet
• animal

People who have been adopted may identify themselves as adoptees. More commonly, they used the adjective adopted to identify themselves in this way.

as an adoptee I find that I need to write/create/make media as a kind of proof I exist, something to leave behind to prove I was part of the human family after I’m gone https://t.co/BQrPXbs2Uu

— Unruh (@WesUnruh) October 24, 2020

International adoptees often aren't recognized as immigrants. Although our immigration stories may not be the same as others, it's important we also recognize our commonalities and shared humanity. Happy National Immigrants Day! #IStandWithImmigrants #Citizenship4Adoptees pic.twitter.com/scbSfVgPpE

— Adoptees For Justice (@Adoptees4Just) October 28, 2020

Adoptees and survivors of mother and baby homes can access their personal data, Irish government says https://t.co/jfHVjQozEh

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 28, 2020

Is adoptee used correctly in the following sentence?

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