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
Range anxiety, and cost, still big factors in EV adoption
But one of the biggest advantages of EREVs is range.
—Joe D'allegro, CNBC, 30 May 2025
The potential value is significant, and there are steps organizations can begin taking today to prepare for agentic AI adoption:
• Compile tasks and workflows that may be suited to agentic capabilities and optimize them for AI agents, perhaps by identifying and removing unnecessary process steps.
—Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Trump, who if nothing else does seem to worry about how he is publicly perceived, should realize that the development and widespread adoption of the COVID vaccine can be a legacy-defining moment, and his health secretary is standing in the way of that.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Right now there are more than 700 pets available for adoption.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for adoption
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Joe D'allegro, CNBC, 30 May 2025
The potential value is significant, and there are steps organizations can begin taking today to prepare for agentic AI adoption:
• Compile tasks and workflows that may be suited to agentic capabilities and optimize them for AI agents, perhaps by identifying and removing unnecessary process steps.
—Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Trump, who if nothing else does seem to worry about how he is publicly perceived, should realize that the development and widespread adoption of the COVID vaccine can be a legacy-defining moment, and his health secretary is standing in the way of that.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Right now there are more than 700 pets available for adoption.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 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 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adoption
noun
adop·tion
ə-ˈdäp-shən
: the act of adopting : the state of being adopted
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