adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən 
plural adoptions
1
: the act or process of adopting someone or something: such as
a
: the act or process of adopting a child
couples who are interested in adoption
About three-quarters of private domestic adoptions are now "open," involving some degree of ongoing contact between adoptive parents, adoptees and the birth family …—
Sydney Trent
Sydney Trent
b
: the act or process of adopting an animal as a pet
dogs and cats available for adoption
The global pandemic saw a boom in pet adoptions …—scoop.co.nz
scoop.co.nz
c
: the act of beginning to practice or use something
the adoption of new technology
The versatility of the henley shirt can be seen in its early adoption by rowers and how it has been worn since.—Emma Fraser
Emma Fraser
d
: the act or process of giving official acceptance or approval to something
the adoption of measures to reduce emissions
2
: the state or condition of being adopted
She is their daughter by adoption.
Examples of adoption in a Sentence
the company wants to speed up its adoption of new technology.
Our adoption of local customs has gone slowly.
The lawyer has handled countless adoptions.
children who are available for adoption
the unanimous adoption of the resolution by the Senate
Recent Examples on the Web
In Washington and New York, there has been widespread adoption of adaptive reuse, Lee said, resulting in makeovers of buildings that each add 1,000 to 2,000 residential units.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Wednesday's Child has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children and continues to raise awareness about adoption from foster care.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The mothers were usually poor women or prostitutes, the children generally given up for adoption to orphanages, many of them run by foreign missionaries.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty Images Cloudflare's stock gained 5% Wednesday after the company beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter estimates and issued upbeat guidance as artificial intelligence adoption fuels demand for its networking and security tools.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adoption
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Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Wednesday's Child has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children and continues to raise awareness about adoption from foster care.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The mothers were usually poor women or prostitutes, the children generally given up for adoption to orphanages, many of them run by foreign missionaries.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty Images Cloudflare's stock gained 5% Wednesday after the company beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter estimates and issued upbeat guidance as artificial intelligence adoption fuels demand for its networking and security tools.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adoption
Cite this Entry
“Adoption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adoption. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən
: the act of adopting : the state of being adopted
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