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

Brown, 21, plays Eleven on the show, and Harbour, 50, plays her adoptive dad, Jim Hopper. —Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

The president and first lady welcomed the children of law enforcement, military and administrative officials, as well as foster and adoptive families, to the annual celebration. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

Separated from his lover, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and his adoptive daughter, Ciri (Freya Allan), Geralt has been severely injured by the evil mage Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu). —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025

Then, they are handed over to child protection services in each state and placed in an adoptive home. —Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 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)