adoptive
adjective
adop·tive
ə-ˈdäp-tiv 
1
: made or acquired by adoption
the adoptive father
2
: of or relating to adoption
adoptively
adverb
Examples of adoptive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The typical story about a machine’s quest for humanity tends to involve its search for what the audience understands to be a normal mortal experience: Haley Joel Osment’s robot boy David in A.I. Artificial Intelligence, for example, yearns for the love of his adoptive mother.
—
Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Watch 'Good American Family' trailer 'Good American Family' cast:
Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett, Natalia's adoptive mother
Mark Duplass as Michael Barnett, Natalia's adoptive father
Imogen Faith Reid as Natalia Grace
Dulé Hill as Det.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
With an emergency protective order in place against his adoptive father, the former governor of Kentucky, attorneys for Jonah Bevin have now filed for a restraining order against Glenna Bevin, preventing nearly all communication between him and his adoptive mother.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Most notably in this physical transformation, Kidman’s role as Julia Edwards — the estranged adoptive mother of Robin Griffin’s (Elisabeth Moss) daughter, Mary — required her to wear another transcendent wig.
—Jihane Bousfiha, Vulture, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for adoptive
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Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Watch 'Good American Family' trailer 'Good American Family' cast:
Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett, Natalia's adoptive mother
Mark Duplass as Michael Barnett, Natalia's adoptive father
Imogen Faith Reid as Natalia Grace
Dulé Hill as Det.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
With an emergency protective order in place against his adoptive father, the former governor of Kentucky, attorneys for Jonah Bevin have now filed for a restraining order against Glenna Bevin, preventing nearly all communication between him and his adoptive mother.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Most notably in this physical transformation, Kidman’s role as Julia Edwards — the estranged adoptive mother of Robin Griffin’s (Elisabeth Moss) daughter, Mary — required her to wear another transcendent wig.
—Jihane Bousfiha, Vulture, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for adoptive
Cite this Entry
“Adoptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adoptive. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adoptive
adjective
adop·tive
ə-ˈdäp-tiv
: made by or associated with adoption
the adoptive parents
Legal Definition
adoptive
adjective
adop·tive
ə-ˈdäp-tiv
1
a
: having adopted
an adoptive parent
b
: having been adopted
an adoptive child
2
: made or acquired by accepting as one's own the words or actions of another
to constitute an adoptive admission…defendant must actually understand what was said and have an opportunity to deny it—United States v. White, 766 F. Supp. 873 (1991)
United States v. White, 766 F. Supp. 873 (1991)Love words? Need even more definitions?
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