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
The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews, and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you.
—Mare Staff, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
And yet, another group of workers has responded to management’s push for AI adoption by going all in.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Under the new law, adoption and surrogacy if any party in the contract is a citizen or a resident of a foreign country of concern will be prohibited.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Faced with a massive surge in electric vehicle adoption, the UK is bracing for a wave of battery waste that could reach 94,000 tonnes of black mass annually by 2040.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for adoption
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Mare Staff, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
And yet, another group of workers has responded to management’s push for AI adoption by going all in.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Under the new law, adoption and surrogacy if any party in the contract is a citizen or a resident of a foreign country of concern will be prohibited.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Faced with a massive surge in electric vehicle adoption, the UK is bracing for a wave of battery waste that could reach 94,000 tonnes of black mass annually by 2040.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 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 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən
: the act of adopting : the state of being adopted
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