Meaning of "adopt" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD ADOPT

From Latin adoptāre to choose for oneself, from optāre to choose.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF ADOPT

adopt  [əˈdɒpt]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF ADOPT

Adopt is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb adopt in English.

WHAT DOES ADOPT MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Adoption

Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from the biological parent or parents. Unlike guardianship or other systems designed for the care of the young, adoption is intended to effect a permanent change in status and as such requires societal recognition, either through legal or religious sanction. Historically, some societies have enacted specific laws governing adoption; where others have tried to achieve adoption through less formal means, notably via contracts that specified inheritance rights and parental responsibilities without an accompanying transfer of filiation. Modern systems of adoption, arising in the 20th century, tend to be governed by comprehensive statutes and regulations. Adoption has changed considerably over the centuries with its focus shifting from adult adoption and inheritance issues toward children and family creation; its structure moving from a recognition of continuity between the adopted and kin toward allowing relationships of lessened intensity.

Definition of adopt in the English dictionary

The first definition of adopt in the dictionary is to bring into a specific relationship, esp to take as one's own child. Other definition of adopt is to choose and follow. Adopt is also to take over as if it were one's own.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO ADOPT

PRESENT

Present

I adopt

you adopt

he/she/it adopts

we adopt

you adopt

they adopt

Present continuous

I am adopting

you are adopting

he/she/it is adopting

we are adopting

you are adopting

they are adopting

Present perfect

I have adopted

you have adopted

he/she/it has adopted

we have adopted

you have adopted

they have adopted

Present perfect continuous

I have been adopting

you have been adopting

he/she/it has been adopting

we have been adopting

you have been adopting

they have been adopting

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I adopted

you adopted

he/she/it adopted

we adopted

you adopted

they adopted

Past continuous

I was adopting

you were adopting

he/she/it was adopting

we were adopting

you were adopting

they were adopting

Past perfect

I had adopted

you had adopted

he/she/it had adopted

we had adopted

you had adopted

they had adopted

Past perfect continuous

I had been adopting

you had been adopting

he/she/it had been adopting

we had been adopting

you had been adopting

they had been adopting

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will adopt

you will adopt

he/she/it will adopt

we will adopt

you will adopt

they will adopt

Future continuous

I will be adopting

you will be adopting

he/she/it will be adopting

we will be adopting

you will be adopting

they will be adopting

Future perfect

I will have adopted

you will have adopted

he/she/it will have adopted

we will have adopted

you will have adopted

they will have adopted

Future perfect continuous

I will have been adopting

you will have been adopting

he/she/it will have been adopting

we will have been adopting

you will have been adopting

they will have been adopting

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would adopt

you would adopt

he/she/it would adopt

we would adopt

you would adopt

they would adopt

Conditional continuous

I would be adopting

you would be adopting

he/she/it would be adopting

we would be adopting

you would be adopting

they would be adopting

Conditional perfect

I would have adopt

you would have adopt

he/she/it would have adopt

we would have adopt

you would have adopt

they would have adopt

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been adopting

you would have been adopting

he/she/it would have been adopting

we would have been adopting

you would have been adopting

they would have been adopting

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you adopt
we let´s adopt
you adopt

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to adopt

Past participle

adopted

Present Participle

adopting

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «ADOPT»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «adopt» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of adopt

accept · appropriate · approve · assume · bring up · cherry-pick · choose · embrace · endorse · espouse · follow · foster · maintain · mother · nominate · nurse · pick · raise · ratify · rear · select · support · take care of · take in · take on · take over · take up

TRANSLATION OF ADOPT

Find out the translation of adopt to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of adopt from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «adopt» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 收养
• Translator English - Spanish: adoptar
• English: adopt
• Translator English - Hindi: अपनाने
• Translator English - Arabic: يَتَبَنَّى
• Translator English - Russian: усыновлять
• Translator English - Portuguese: adotar
• Translator English - Bengali: অবলম্বন করা
• Translator English - French: adopter
• Translator English - Malay: menerima pakai
• Translator English - German: adoptieren
• Translator English - Japanese: 養子にする
• Translator English - Korean: 입양하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Diadopsi
• Translator English - Vietnamese: nhận làm con nuôi
• Translator English - Tamil: தத்தெடுக்க
• Translator English - Marathi: अवलंब करा
• Translator English - Turkish: benimsemek
• Translator English - Italian: adottare
• Translator English - Polish: zaadoptować
• Translator English - Ukrainian: усиновлювати
• Translator English - Romanian: a adopta
• Translator English - Greek: υιοθετώ
• Translator English - Afrikaans: neem
• Translator English - Swedish: adoptera
• Translator English - Norwegian: adoptere

10 QUOTES WITH «ADOPT»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word adopt.

1

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

What I find problematic is the suggestion that when, say, Madonna adopts an African child, she is saving Africa. It's not that simple. You have to do more than go there and adopt a child or show us pictures of children with flies in their eyes. That simplifies Africa.

2

Dianna Agron

I feel as if I go to Africa, I may never come back. I'm just going to live with the animals and adopt an elephant, and it's going to be my friend.

3

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

It's a significant question: should black people only adopt black children, and white people white children?

4

John Barry

There certainly is a lot of political pressure for states to adopt the new federal tax codes. But there is no law that requires them to do so.

5

Kirk Cameron

People want to be liked by other people, so they adopt other people's standards, but for me, my standard had always been true.

6

Lois Capps

My experience as a school nurse taught me that we need to make a concerted effort, all of us, to increase physical fitness activity among our children and to encourage all Americans to adopt a healthier diet that includes fruits and vegetables, but there is more.

7

Lois Capps

I will continue to work in Washington to oppose any efforts to expand drilling off our Coasts and to challenge my colleagues to adopt responsible energy policies.

8

Jan Chipchase

It will be interesting to see if Seoul's urban vocabulary of numerous, ever-present interactive screens will translate to other cities such as Beijing, London, and New York. It will also be intriguing to see if smaller cities and towns adopt aspects of Seoul's screen culture throughout Asia, Europe, and North America.

9

John Clute

Science fiction offers an intensely bracing angle of view for writers to adopt, especially in a time of constant innovation and crisis, and it is a scandal that in 1999 so many writers have written it and continue to write it in obscurity.

10

Richard J. Codey

School is where children spend most of their time, and it is where we lay the foundation for healthy habits. That's why New Jersey is the first state to adopt a comprehensive school nutrition policy that bans candy, soda, and other junk food.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «ADOPT»

Discover the use of adopt in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to adopt and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

You Can Adopt: An Adoptive Families Guide

From Adoptive Families magazine, the country’s leading resource on adoption, this warm, authoritative book is full of practical, realistic advice from leading attorneys, doctors, social workers, and psychologists, as well as honest, ...

Susan Caughman, Isolde Motley, 2009

West Meets East: Americans Adopt Chinese Children

Examines the new "American & Chinese" families being formed throughout the country.

Richard C. Tessler, Gail Gamache, Liming Liu, 1999

Nginx HTTP Server: Adopt Nginx for Your Web Applications to ...

Adopt Nginx for your web applications to make the most of your infrastructure and serve pages faster than ever.

Clement Nedelcu, 2010

So You Want to Adopt...Now What?: A Practical Guide for ...

This book is an indispensable resource for anyone considering adoption. Are you considering adoption? Read this first! Let Sara Dormon and Ruth Graham help you navigate the tempestuous rollercoaster ride of the adoption journey.

Sara Dormon, Ruth Graham, 2006

Adopt International: Everything You Need to Know to Adopt a ...

Offers advice on government regulations and forms, financial issues, and traveling to adopt, and includes information for every country that allows international adoptions

O. Robin Sweet, 1996

Should You Adopt?

This book will help you sort through the legal concerns and help you work through the questions you will have before embarking on the adoption journey.

Christine M. Field, 1997

Yes, You Can Adopt!: A Comprehensive Guide to Adoption

A valuable resource for couples and singles who are looking to adopt combines the author's own expertise with personal advice from adoptive parents, covering a vast array of issues and questions surrounding the adoption process, ...

Richard Mintzer, 2002

Susan and Gordon adopt a baby: based on the Sesame Street ...

Big Bird tries hard to be helpful when a new baby arrives on Sesame Street.

Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, 1986

Adopt the Baby You Want

In recent years, adoption practices have undergone revolutionary changes as the number of newborn infants available for adoption has decreased.

Michael R. Sullivan, Susan Shultz, 1992

Filling the Quiver: Answering God's Call to Adopt

Could I love an adopted child as I would one born to me? What if there are emotional problems? Would my family accept my adopted children? These are all real questions and not easy to ask.

Rodney Peavy, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «ADOPT»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term adopt is used in the context of the following news items.

Planning to Adopt a Cat? Here's What To Consider Before You Do

As a trainer, however, I'm adamant that people not adopt on a whim. This comes from first-hand experience witnessing the problems that can ... «Care2.com, Jul 15»

UN Human Rights Council Votes To Adopt Gaza War Report

The United Nations Human Rights Council voted to adopt a report on last summer's Israel-Gaza conflict. The resolution to adopt the report ... «Forward, Jul 15»

University of Minnesota to adopt 'affirmative consent' rule

The University of Minnesota is joining a national movement requiring students to obtain “affirmative consent” from their sex partners or risk ... «Duluth News Tribune, Jul 15»

Failure to adopt recovery plan threatens survival of Pacific bluefin tuna

Guayaquil, Ecuador – Inability to agree on a recovery plan for Pacific bluefin tuna at a meeting of the fisheries commission for the eastern ... «WWF International, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Nancy Doucet, Acadiana High School

Teacher: Nancy Doucet. School: Acadiana High School. Grade/Subject: 10th grade biology. From the teacher: My name is Nancy Doucet and I ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Melissa Douet, Scott Middle

Teacher: Melissa Douet. School: Scott Middle. Grade/Subject: Computer literacy. From the teacher: Our school serves about 84 percent free ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Jacarrie Taylor, Park Elementary

Teacher: Jacarrie Taylor. School: Park Elementary. Grade/Subject: Special education kindergarten through fifth grade. From the teacher: I am a ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Lizz Johnson, Plantation Elementary

Teacher: Lizz Johnson. School: Plantation Elementary. Grade/Subject: First grade. From the teacher: I love my firsties! We work so hard all year ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Melissa Lindbloom, St. Charles Elementary

Teacher: Melissa Lindbloom. School: St. Charles Elementary. Grade/Subject: First grade. From the teacher: I teach in Jeanerette. My classroom ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»

Adopt-A-Teacher: Judy Stewart, Broussard

Teacher: Judy Stewart. School: Broussard. Grade/Subject: Eighth grade math. From the teacher: I've been teaching eighth grade math over 35 ... «The Daily Advertiser, Jul 15»