# adoption

/əˈdɑpʃən/ (US) · /ɐdˈɒpʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/adoption
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. of a child

noun · CEFR B2

the legal process of taking a child into your family and becoming their legal parent.

For teachers: the legal act or process by which a person or couple takes a child of other parents as their own.

- After years of waiting, the couple finally completed the adoption of their daughter.
- The legal complexities of international adoption require careful navigation of the statutes in both the child's country of origin and the parents' home state.

### 2. of an idea or technology

noun · CEFR B2

the act of starting to use a new system, idea, or product.

For teachers: the acceptance and implementation of a new method, technology, or belief system.

- The rapid adoption of smartphones changed how we communicate every day.
- Widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies depends as much on government subsidies as it does on engineering breakthroughs.

### 3. religious grace

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

the belief that people are accepted as children of God.

For teachers: the act of divine grace by which the redeemed are admitted to the privileges of the children of God.

- The sermon focused on the spiritual adoption of believers into the faith.
- Theologians have long debated the precise nature of adoption as a distinct stage in the process of justification and sanctification.

### 4. gaming/competition

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

winning ten times in a row against the same opponent.

For teachers: a slang term used in competitive gaming or sports to describe ten consecutive victories over a single opponent.

- He claimed an adoption after beating his rival ten times in the tournament.
- The community uses the term adoption to signify total dominance, specifically when a player manages ten straight wins against a challenger.

## Examples

- The adoption of the new software was very fast.
- After years of fostering, the family finally completed the legal adoption of their youngest daughter.
- The rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies depends as much on government subsidies as it does on the public's willingness to change long-standing habits.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.