adjective
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acquired or related by adoption
an adoptive father
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of or relating to adoption Compare adopted
Usage
Although adoptive in the sense “acquired or related by adoption” can refer to either parent or child in such a relationship, adoptive is customarily applied to the parent ( her adoptive mother ) and adopted to the child ( their adopted son ).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adoptive
1400–50; < Latin adoptīvus; see adopt, -ive; replacing late Middle English adoptife < Middle French adoptif
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.
In 2006, she played the adoptive mother of the Man of Steel in “Superman Returns.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Although the child had significant health problems, she remained with her adoptive parents until she died at 8 years old.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The report sorted American households into seven distinct family structures: intact married, single parent, blended, unmarried biological or adoptive, cohabiting, extended and other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Instead, he was taken from her by a court order from Oldham Council and placed with temporary adoptive parents before being adopted by Varley and McGowan.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
“You’re worried that the adoptive parents you chose for Peach are going to split up,” Rafe finally said.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
