adoption

adoption — noun

1. the legal process by which an adult becomes the parent of a child who was not bo

1.nounB2
Definition

the legal process by which an adult becomes the parent of a child who was not born to them, taking on full responsibility for raising that child.

Example

Wren and Daniel began the adoption process after waiting six years for a baby.

noun phrase: the adoption process

The judge approved the adoption of three siblings by a single foster mother.

pattern: adoption of [child] by [parent]

Common collocations
  • adoption agency
  • adoption papers
  • put up for adoption
  • international adoption
  • open adoption
  • adoption process
Synonyms
  • fostering

    temporary, not legally permanent like adoption

  • guardianship

    legal care without becoming the parent

Grammar Patterns

adoption of [child]

adoption by [parent/family]

Usage Note

Often appears in fixed phrases such as 'adoption agency', 'adoption papers', and 'put a child up for adoption'. Distinguish from sense 2 (adoption of an idea or method): sense 1 is restricted to legally taking in a child.

Common Mistakes

They made an adoption of a baby girl.
They adopted a baby girl.
English does not say 'make an adoption'; use the verb 'adopt' or 'go through an adoption'.
She was given for adoption by her aunt.
She was put up for adoption by her aunt.
the fixed phrase is 'put up for adoption', not 'give for adoption'.

2. the moment when a group, company, or government starts putting a new method, ide

2.nounB2
Definition

the moment when a group, company, or government starts putting a new method, idea, or technology into regular practice, or formally agrees to follow a plan or rule.

Example

The hospital's adoption of electronic records cut waiting times by almost half.

pattern: adoption of [technology]

Widespread adoption of solar panels has lowered energy bills across rural villages in India.

collocation: widespread adoption

Common collocations
  • widespread adoption
  • rapid adoption
  • early adoption
  • mass adoption
  • adoption rate
Synonyms
  • implementation

    stresses putting a plan into action

  • uptake

    informal; how widely something is taken up by users

  • embrace

    more emotional, suggests enthusiasm

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

adoption of [method/policy/technology]

[wide/widespread] adoption

Usage Note

Subject is usually an institution, government, industry, or large group, not a single individual. Frequently modified by adverbs of speed or scale: 'rapid', 'slow', 'wide', 'widespread', 'mass'. Distinguish from sense 3 (CHOOSING): sense 2 emphasises putting something into practical use, while sense 3 emphasises selecting it as one's own.

Common Mistakes

The company did an adoption of new software.
The company adopted new software.
prefer the verb form unless you specifically need the noun in a formal context, e.g. 'The company's adoption of new software was slow.'

3. deciding to take on something as personally yours — for example a new name, a st

3.nounC1
Definition

deciding to take on something as personally yours — for example a new name, a style of dress, a religion, or a person you back as your election candidate.

Example

Her adoption of the surname Park surprised her colleagues at the bank.

pattern: adoption of [name]

The artist's adoption of bright colours marked a clear break from his earlier work.

pattern: adoption of [style]

Common collocations
  • adoption of a name
  • adoption of a style
  • adoption as candidate
  • adoption of a vow
Synonyms
  • embracing

    warmer, suggests willing acceptance

  • assumption

    formal; especially of a name, role, or identity

  • selection

    neutral; emphasises the choice rather than ownership

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

adoption of [name/style/identity]

adoption as [a candidate]

Usage Note

Frequently followed by 'of' + an abstract noun (a name, an identity, a style, a vow, a faith). The candidate-selection use ('adoption as candidate') is common in British political reporting and rare elsewhere. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 is about taking something on as personally yours, not about putting a system into practice.

Common Mistakes

She did the adoption of a Korean name.
She took a Korean name.' / 'Her adoption of a Korean name surprised everyone.
the noun 'adoption' in this sense is formal; everyday speech prefers verbs like 'take on', 'pick up', or 'choose'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe an institution or group starting to use something new, but they highlight different stages. 'Adoption' covers the whole movement from rejecting or ignoring something to officially using it — 'the city's adoption of bike lanes'. 'Implementation' is narrower and more practical: it focuses on the work of putting a decision into operation — 'implementation of the new pay system took six months'. 'Uptake' is informal and looks at the user side: how many people actually pick something up — 'low uptake of the flu vaccine'. 'Embrace' is warmer and suggests enthusiasm rather than a neutral decision — 'the country's embrace of renewable energy'. So a government may announce the adoption of a policy, struggle with its implementation, hope for strong uptake, and praise the public's embrace of it.

adoption ↗implementation ↗uptake ↗embrace ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • adoption agency
  • adoption process
  • adoption rate
  • adoption papers

Adverbs

Phrases

  • put up for adoption
  • open adoption
  • early adoption
  • mass adoption

Prepositions

  • adoption of
  • adoption by
  • for adoption
  • adoption as

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

English borrowed 'adoption' in the late 14th century from Old French 'adopcion', which itself came from Latin 'adoptionem' — the noun form of the verb 'adoptare', meaning 'to choose for oneself'. The Latin verb is built from 'ad-' ('to') and 'optare' ('to choose, wish for'), the same root that gives us 'option' and 'opt'. The earliest English uses referred to legally taking in a child as one's own; the wider meaning of taking up an idea, name, or method spread in the 1600s and is now the most common everyday use.