adopt

\ ə-ˈdäpt

adopted; adopting; adopts

Definition of adopt

1 : to take by choice into a relationship especially : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child

2 : to take up and practice or use adopted a moderate tone

3 : to accept formally and put into effect adopt a constitutional amendment

4 : to choose (a textbook) for required study in a course

5 : to sponsor the care and maintenance of adopt a highway

intransitive verb

: to adopt a child couples choosing to adopt

Other Words from adopt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about adopt

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Choose the Right Synonym for adopt

adopt, embrace, espouse mean to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own. adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature. forced to adopt new policies embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance. embraced the customs of their new homeland espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes. espoused the cause of women's rights

Examples of adopt in a Sentence

They were unable to have children of their own, so they decided to adopt. They decided to adopt a child. He was adopted as an infant. Did he adopt your point of view? We adopted some of the local customs. The author Samuel Clemens adopted the name “Mark Twain.” He was born in England but he has adopted Canada as his home. The assembly adopted a new constitution. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Senate.

Recent Examples on the Web The portion of employers to adopt it was stuck in the 3% to 5% range. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "Can companies help working parents without alienating everyone else?," 29 Dec. 2020 Sanders' progressive allies have refused to vote for a bill without stimulus payments, and Hawley has pushed the White House to adopt them as well. — TheWeek, "Bipartisan senators split their coronavirus proposal into 2 bills, both without stimulus checks," 14 Dec. 2020 Richman believes the Cardinals were the first to use robots, and he's seen other teams adopt it, too. — Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, "Arizona Cardinals use Zoom, robots to give back to community at Thanksgiving time," 26 Nov. 2020 The evaluation documents were given to Mackey during the Nov. 12 work session with plans to formally adopt it at the Dec. 10 board meeting. — al, "Alabama state superintendent gets high marks on evaluation," 23 Nov. 2020 The most straightforward solution would have been to adopt it as a form of government speech, explicitly endorsing its message. — Victor Luckerson, The New Yorker, "The Defacement and Destruction of Black Lives Matter Murals," 19 Nov. 2020 The Biden administration should dust off Section 1 and adopt it for our own time as the public policy of the day. — Thomas Geoghegan, The New Republic, "An FDR-Size Executive Order for Biden," 18 Nov. 2020 Once measures were ready, the House would reconvene the week after Thanksgiving to review and adopt them. — John Haughey, Washington Examiner, "Missouri Senate COVID-19 spike postpones special session," 17 Nov. 2020 Clients adopt them for $25 to $60, shipping and adoption certificate included. — Washington Post, "Someone out there wants to adopt your creepy toys. There’s a matchmaker for that.," 29 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adopt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Adopt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adopt. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for adopt

adopt

verb

English Language Learners Definition of adopt

: to take a child of other parents legally as your own child

: to begin to use or have (a different manner, method, etc.)

: to begin to use (a name that is not your real or original name)

See the full definition for adopt in the English Language Learners Dictionary

adopt

verb

\ ə-ˈdäpt

adopted; adopting

Kids Definition of adopt

1 : to legally take a child of other parents to raise

2 : to take up as someone's own After moving to Quebec, he adopted French as his language.

3 : to accept and put into action The state adopted a law requiring drivers to wear seat belts.

adopt

transitive verb

\ ə-ˈdäpt

Legal Definition of adopt

1 : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child especially in compliance with formal legal procedures — see also equitable adoption

2 : to take or accept as if one's own [the company] adopted the signature on the financing statement — Barber-Greene Co. v. Nat'l City Bank of Minneapolis, 816 F.2d 1267 (1987)

3 : to accept formally and put into effect adopt a constitutional amendment