adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən 
plural adoptions
1
: the act or process of adopting someone or something: such as
a
: the act or process of adopting a child
couples who are interested in adoption
About three-quarters of private domestic adoptions are now "open," involving some degree of ongoing contact between adoptive parents, adoptees and the birth family …—
Sydney Trent
Sydney Trent
b
: the act or process of adopting an animal as a pet
dogs and cats available for adoption
The global pandemic saw a boom in pet adoptions …—scoop.co.nz
scoop.co.nz
c
: the act of beginning to practice or use something
the adoption of new technology
The versatility of the henley shirt can be seen in its early adoption by rowers and how it has been worn since.—Emma Fraser
Emma Fraser
d
: the act or process of giving official acceptance or approval to something
the adoption of measures to reduce emissions
2
: the state or condition of being adopted
She is their daughter by adoption.
Examples of adoption in a Sentence
the company wants to speed up its adoption of new technology.
Our adoption of local customs has gone slowly.
The lawyer has handled countless adoptions.
children who are available for adoption
the unanimous adoption of the resolution by the Senate
Recent Examples on the Web
Parents had to make the claim within 12 months of the birth or adoption of a child—there is no cap on the number of children families could get money for.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
When selecting a solution, consider: • Integration with existing systems
• Long-term scalability
• Security and compliance requirements
• User experience and ease of adoption
• Cost versus long-term ROI
6.
—Ashar Samdani, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Southern California has been choked by smog since the mass adoption of the automobile.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
For instance, Lea Wait’s mass-market crime novel Shadows at the Spring Show, published in 2005, goes so far as to make anger over the transracial adoption the motive for a string of grisly murders in a small town.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adoption
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
When selecting a solution, consider: • Integration with existing systems
• Long-term scalability
• Security and compliance requirements
• User experience and ease of adoption
• Cost versus long-term ROI
6.
—Ashar Samdani, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Southern California has been choked by smog since the mass adoption of the automobile.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
For instance, Lea Wait’s mass-market crime novel Shadows at the Spring Show, published in 2005, goes so far as to make anger over the transracial adoption the motive for a string of grisly murders in a small town.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adoption
Cite this Entry
“Adoption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adoption. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən
: the act of adopting : the state of being adopted
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