- pronunciation:
dapt
- features:
- Note, Word History, Word Builder, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
adopts, adopting, adopted |
| definition 1: |
When you adopt something, you accept a new thing and make it your own. When people adopt a baby, the baby becomes part of their family. When people adopt pets, they bring them into their home and care for them for a long time.
My mom and dad adopted a little girl from China, so now I have a sister.I wanted to adopt a kitten, but my parents said no.
- similar words:
- mother
|
| definition 2: |
When a government or group adopts a law or rule, it means they accept it by voting for it.
In our family, we adopted the rule of no phones during dinner.- synonyms:
- approve, pass
- similar words:
- back, vote for
|
| related words: |
choose, follow, pass |
| derivations: |
adoptable (adj.), adopter (n.) |
adopt or adapt?
Adopt means to accept a new thing as your own.
Adapt means to make changes because of a new purpose or situation.
Compare:
- We adopted a puppy from the animal shelter.
- The puppy soon adapted to its new home.
The English word
adopt is from a Latin word
adoptare that means "to choose for oneself" or "to choose as one's own." If you take away the prefix
ad- from
adoptare, the word
optare is left.
Optare means "to choose freely." Other English words that come from
optare include "option" (a choice) and "opt" (choose).