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

The 40-year-old was born deaf and with a speech impediment, and he was influenced by his adoptive father’s work as a civil rights lawyer. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025

As war erupts between the planets Apocalypse and New Genesis, Scott’s adoptive father, Darkseid, has apparently obtained the Anti-Life Equation, a devastating force capable of dominating the universe. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 12 June 2025

In 1976, he was thrust into the daytime soap opera world with his General Hospital debut as Dr. Rick Webber, the two-time husband of Denise Alexander's Lesley and adoptive father of Genie Francis' Laura Collins. —Mekishana Pierre Published, EW.com, 11 June 2025

Behold the power of food to shape world history: Antonin’s culinary ambition and fierce loyalty to his adoptive father, a fellow chef named Bailly, are equal drivers of the season’s plot. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 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)