WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
a•dop•tion /əˈdɑpʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- the act or process of adopting a child: [uncountable]Adoption can be a long process.[countable]The rate of adoptions has risen.
- taking and carrying out a particular plan:[uncountable]the adoption of the candidate's platform.
a•dop•tion
(ə dop′shən),USA pronunciation n.
a•dop′tion•al, adj.
- the act of adopting:the adoption of a new amendment.
- the state of being adopted.
- Latin adoptiōn-, stem of adoptiō. See ad-, option
- Middle English adopcioun 1300–50
'adoption' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Antifederal party
- Cambodia
- Chindit
- Federalist party
- Grecism
- Haskalah
- Hellenism
- Independence Day
- Japlish
- Liberty Bell
- Nara
- POSSLQ
- Plimsoll line
- Plimsoll mark
- Wade-Giles system
- Weimar
- adopt
- adoptable
- adoptive
- affiliation
- affinity
- animal shelter
- archaism
- baby broker
- carry
- counsel
- custodianship
- deaconess
- embourgeoisement
- eonism
- espousal
- filibuster
- foster daughter
- foster son
- iceberg
- incorporation
- initiative
- inversion
- lager
- liverwurst
- loan
- loan translation
- mark
- medievalism
- moderate
- natural
- osmosis
- pilot
- pitchblende
- preantiseptic