English Dictionary

Definition of “adopt

adopt (əˈdɒptPronunciation for adopt

Definitions

verb (tr)

  1. law to bring (a person) into a specific relationship, esp to take (another's child) as one's own child
  2. to choose and follow (a plan, technique, etc)
  3. to take over (an idea, etc) as if it were one's own
  4. to take on; assume  ⇒ to adopt a title 
  5. to accept (a report, etc)

Alternative Forms

ˌadopˈtee noun aˈdopter noun aˈdoption noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin adoptāre  to choose for oneself, from optāre to choose

Translations

  • British English: adopt Pronunciation for adopt If you adopt someone else's child, you take it into your own family and make it legally your own.There are hundreds of people who want to adopt a child.əˈdɒpt VERB There are hundreds of people who want to adopt a child.
  • Spanish: adoptar Pronunciation for adoptar v
  • French: adopter Pronunciation for adopter v
  • German: adoptieren Pronunciation for adoptieren v
  • Chinese: 收养Pronunciation for 收养 v
  • Arabic: يَتَبَنَّىPronunciation for يَتَبَنَّى v
  • Portuguese: adoptarPronunciation for adoptar v
  • Russian: усыновлятьPronunciation for усыновлять v
  • Croatian: usvojitiPronunciation for usvojiti v
  • Czech: adoptovatPronunciation for adoptovat v
  • Danish: tillægge (sig)Pronunciation for tillægge (sig) v
  • Dutch: adopterenPronunciation for adopteren v
  • Finnish: adoptoidaPronunciation for adoptoida v
  • Greek: υιοθετώPronunciation for υιοθετώ v
  • Italian: adottarePronunciation for adottare v
  • Japanese: 養子にするPronunciation for 養子にする v
  • Korean: 입양하다Pronunciation for 입양하다 v
  • Norwegian: adopterePronunciation for adoptere v
  • Polish: zaadoptowaćPronunciation for zaadoptować v adoptować
  • Brazilian Portuguese: adotarPronunciation for adotar v
  • European Spanish: adoptar Pronunciation for adoptar v
  • Swedish: adopteraPronunciation for adoptera v
  • Thai: รับเอามาPronunciation for รับเอามา v
  • Turkish: evlat edinmekPronunciation for evlat edinmek v
  • Vietnamese: nhận làm con nuôiPronunciation for nhận làm con nuôi v

Usage examples

  • Her back ached from lying in the unnatural position she had been forced to adopt.
    Martin, Joy, The Image of Laura (1993)
  • If you adopt the right management principles you should be able to run the NIH.
    New Scientist (2004)
  • I wanted to tell the story as honestly and as impartially as possible, trying to adopt a professional journalistic stance towards myself".
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Provided you don't adopt an aggressive investment policy you can't go too far wrong.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • It means that we should adopt a philosophy that does not place humans at the peak of a pinnacle.
    Michael Boulter, EXTINCTION: Evolution and the End of Man (2002)

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