adopted; adopting; adopts
1
: to take (someone or something) by choice into a relationship
They adopted Canada as their home.
: such as
a
: to take (a child born to other parents) voluntarily as one's own child especially in compliance with formal legal procedures
Many young couples … are experiencing infertility problems, and as a result, some are looking to adopt a child.—
Sonia Krohn
Sonia Krohn
b
: to acquire (an animal) as a pet especially from an animal shelter
The family adopted a dog.
2
: to begin to practice or use (something, such as an approach or manner)
people who adopt a healthy lifestyle
He adopted a moderate tone.
Over the past year, I've adopted the habit of buying clothes and home goods only from ethical brands.—Sunny Montgomery
Sunny MontgomeryAdopted from France, the widespread Victorian custom of leaving visiting cards led to the production of many types of card cases.—William C. Ketchum, Jr.
William C. Ketchum, Jr.The big three airlines have adopted different strategies in response to the pandemic.—Ted Reed
Ted ReedBarnard explained that it was only in 1974 that the group adopted the name ABBA.—Faith Qinga
Faith Qinga3
: to accept and establish (something, such as a law or policy) in a formal or official way
adopt a constitutional amendment
adopted new safety measures
By then almost every state had adopted an animal anti-cruelty law.—Mindy Norton
Mindy Norton4
: to choose (educational materials) for required study in a course
The board is responsible for setting curriculum standards and adopting textbooks and other instructional materials for public schools.—Dallas Morning News
Dallas Morning News5
: to sponsor the care and maintenance of (something, such as a section of public road)
Rock Bridge [Community Church] has adopted part of Curtis Highway, while Northwest Georgia National has taken on part of Belwood Road.—Cat Webb
Cat Webb6
: to take (a word from another language) into common use : borrow
English adopted the word "patio" from Spanish. = The English word "patio" was adopted from Spanish.
: to adopt a child or animal
people who choose to adopt
adopter
noun
plural adopters
an early adopter of new technology
… living rooms are great places for potential adopters to evaluate a dog …
—Dog Watch
Dog Watch
Examples of adopt in a Sentence
They were unable to have children of their own, so they decided to adopt.
They decided to adopt a child.
He was adopted as an infant.
Did he adopt your point of view?
We adopted some of the local customs.
The author Samuel Clemens adopted the name “Mark Twain.”
He was born in England but he has adopted Canada as his home.
The assembly adopted a new constitution.
The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Senate.
Recent Examples on the Web
The situation is tricky enough in the case of innovations that users voluntarily adopt—plenty of people do not let their dim view of Meta overly interfere with their enjoyment of Instagram.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
In an effort to reduce costs internally, Uber has adopted artificial intelligence for engineering productivity and is moderating its hiring.
—Lora Kolodny,samantha Subin, CNBC, 6 May 2026
That is why the recent fight over columns was so poignant, even if no redesign was formally adopted.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for adopt
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
In an effort to reduce costs internally, Uber has adopted artificial intelligence for engineering productivity and is moderating its hiring.
—Lora Kolodny,samantha Subin, CNBC, 6 May 2026
That is why the recent fight over columns was so poignant, even if no redesign was formally adopted.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for adopt
Cite this Entry
“Adopt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adopt. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adopt
verb1
: to take legally as one's own child
adopted a baby girl
2
: to take as one's own
adopt a point of view
3
: to accept formally
the assembly adopted a constitution
adopter
noun
Legal Definition
adopt
transitive verb1
: to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child especially in compliance with formal legal procedures see also equitable adoption
2
: to take or accept as if one's own
[the company] adopted the signature on the financing statement—Barber-Greene Co. v. Nat'l City Bank of Minneapolis, 816 F.2d 1267 (1987)
Barber-Greene Co. v. Nat'l City Bank of Minneapolis, 816 F.2d 1267 (1987)3
: to accept formally and put into effect
adopt a constitutional amendment
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