# adopt

Pronunciation: say "uh-DOPT" US /əˈdɑpt/, UK /əˈdɒpt/

## Verb

1. To take another's child into your family by choice and raise the child as your own.
   - Simple: To take another person's child into your family and raise them as your own.
   - _After a long process, they were finally able to adopt the boy._
   - _Many families adopt children who have lost their parents._
2. To select and formally approve or take up something, such as a method, policy, or proposal.
   - Simple: To choose something and start to use it or agree to it.
   - _The committee voted to adopt the new safety guidelines._
   - _Several countries adopted the treaty within a year._
3. To take on or assume as one's own something not naturally belonging to one, such as a manner, custom, or appearance.
   - Simple: To take on something that is not naturally yours, like a habit or way of acting.
   - _Over time, newcomers often adopt the customs of their new home._
   - _The young actor adopted the mannerisms of his idol._
4. To take in a pet from a shelter or the wild and care for it as one's own.
   - Simple: To take a pet home from a shelter to care for it.
   - _The family chose to adopt a rescue dog rather than buy one._
   - _She adopted two cats from the local animal shelter._
5. To take something or someone by choice into the range of one's care or responsibility.
   - Simple: To take on someone or something as your responsibility because you choose to.
   - _The company agreed to adopt the struggling charity as its main cause._
   - _Volunteers adopted several elderly neighbors to check on each week._
6. To contribute toward the upkeep of a child or animal in return for occasional updates, such as stories or pictures.
   - Simple: To pay to help support a child or animal, and get updates and pictures in return.
   - _For a small monthly fee, you can adopt an endangered tiger and receive updates._
   - _She adopted a rescued elephant and gets a newsletter twice a year._
7. To defeat an opponent ten times consecutively, especially in chess or similar games. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To beat the same opponent ten times in a row in a game.
   - _She finally adopted her longtime chess rival last night._
   - _Beat him ten times straight and you adopt him._

## Noun

8. Clipping of adoptable. *(colloquial)* — Clipping of adoptable.
   - Simple: Short form of adoptable. It means a character design made for someone else to take and own.
   - _Each adopt comes with a reference sheet and full usage rights._
   - _She designed a whole batch of adopts for the auction._

## Origin

From Middle French adopter, from Latin adoptō, formed from ad- plus optō ("to choose, desire"): equivalent to ad- plus opt.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/adopt (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).