v.
- legally take (another's child) and bring it up as one's own.
- choose to take up or follow (an option or course of action).
- assume (an attitude or position).
- Brit. choose as a candidate for office.
▸formally approve or accept.
- Brit. (of a local authority) accept responsibility for the maintenance of (a road).
Derivative
- adoptable adj.
- adoptee n.
- adopter n.
- adoption n.
Etymology
C15 (earlier (ME) as adoption): via Fr. from L. adoptare, from ad- ‘to’ + optare ‘choose’.