Synonyms of adopt

adopt

verb

ə-ˈdäpt 

as in to borrow

to take for one's own use (something originated by another)

shortly after moving to the U.S., the family dutifully adopted the American tradition of having turkey for Thanksgiving

Synonyms & Similar Words

• borrow
• embrace
• cultivate
• assimilate
• take up
• follow
• take on
• espouse
• incorporate
• utilize
• use
• imitate
• pick up on
• copy
• appropriate
• absorb
• usurp
• foster
• domesticate
• take over
• honor
• raise
• cherish
• heed
• naturalize
• affect
• simulate
• quote
• treasure
• nurture
• pretend
• arrogate
• assume
• prize
• put on
• bring up
• rear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandon
• relinquish
• surrender
• forsake
• give up
• reject
• renounce
• disown
• abjure
• repudiate
• spurn
• discard
• jettison
• throw away
• throw out
• abnegate
• junk

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adopt differ from other similar words?

The words embrace and espouse are common synonyms of adopt. While all three words 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

In what contexts can embrace take the place of adopt?

Although the words embrace and adopt have much in common, embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.

embraced the customs of their new homeland

When might espouse be a better fit than adopt?

While in some cases nearly identical to adopt, espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.

espoused the cause of women's rights

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adopt

The 2026 housing appropriation adopted by Congress this year boosted HACLA’s Section 8 funding by $138 million, Castro Ramirez said. — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Sadly, too, much of the state’s political media has tended to parrot politicians’ false claims rather than adopt Petek’s far more realistic view of the state’s very imbalanced finances, and in doing so have been complicit in the deception. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

The future of optical scale-up Nvidia, for its part, is taking a gradual approach to adopting these technologies. — IEEE Spectrum, 9 July 2026

The latter was the leader of a failed uprising against the ruling Elizabeth 1, and the weeping stag was often used as a symbol adopted by the Earl’s supporters. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026