adoptive

adjective

adop·​tive ə-ˈdäp-tiv 

1

: made or acquired by adoption

the adoptive father

2

: of or relating to adoption

adoptively adverb

Examples of adoptive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Turnage was offered the plea in exchange for testifying against Jeremiah Moore’s adoptive mother, Tamara Moore, who faces a murder charge, the prosecutor’s office said. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025

Funding Love Fest: A family-friendly fundraising event in support of Funding Love, an adoption nonprofit that supports adoptive families and birth moms post-adoption, with food trucks, games, prizes, carnival fare, DJ, and more. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025

In the episode, Arnold is being bullied, so Willis and their adoptive sister Kimberly (Dana Plato) write to Ali claiming that Arnold is dying of a rare tropical disease. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025

Alongside his adoptive brother, Seth (Adam Brody), Ryan navigates his new environment and the relationships that come with it. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adoptif, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French adoptif, going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin adoptīvus, from adoptāre "to adopt" + -īvus -ive

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing adoptive

• adoptive immunotherapy
• adoptive parent

Kids Definition

adoptive

adjective

adop·​tive ə-ˈdäp-tiv 

: made by or associated with adoption

the adoptive parents

Legal Definition

adoptive

adjective

adop·​tive ə-ˈdäp-tiv 

1

a

: having adopted

an adoptive parent

b

: having been adopted

an adoptive child

2

: made or acquired by accepting as one's own the words or actions of another

to constitute an adoptive admission…defendant must actually understand what was said and have an opportunity to deny it

—United States v. White, 766 F. Supp. 873 (1991)