English Lexicon

Adopted

/əˈdɒptɪd/
adjectiveverbCEFR B1 (Intermediate)Top #1450 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Legally taken by another family as their own child.

    "She was raised by her loving adopted parents in a suburban neighborhood."
  2. 2

    Of a custom, idea, or method, formally accepted and put into practice.

    "The committee reviewed the newly adopted safety regulations for the facility."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'adoptare', meaning 'to choose for oneself' or 'to take by choice', combining 'ad-' (to) and 'optare' (to choose). It entered Middle English in the 15th century via Old French, initially denoting the legal taking of someone else's child as one's own, and later expanded to include ideas, customs, and technologies.

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