Word
adoptive
Phoneticsadop·tive
US/əˈdɑptɪv/
UK/ɐdˈɒptɪv/
Definition
adj. describing a family that has legally taken a child into their home to raise as their own. It can also describe the country or home where someone chooses to live.
adj. relating to the legal adoption of a child; describes the relationship from the perspective of the parent or the chosen environment. Often used to distinguish legal family ties from biological ones.
Examples
“She has a very close relationship with her adoptive parents.”
“After living in Madrid for twenty years, he considers Spain his adoptive home.”
“The documentary explores the emotional journey of several adoptive families as they navigate the complexities of open adoption and maintaining connections with birth relatives.”
Examples
simple
“She has a very close relationship with her adoptive parents.”
contextual
“After living in Madrid for twenty years, he considers Spain his adoptive home.”
complex
“The documentary explores the emotional journey of several adoptive families as they navigate the complexities of open adoption and maintaining connections with birth relatives.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun like 'parents', 'family', or 'home'.
Pitfall
He is an adopted father.
He is an adoptive father.
Use 'adoptive' for the parent or family who adopts, and 'adopted' for the child who is taken in.
Real-World Examples
“When he was young, he read a “brilliant” book, Mister Fairweather and His Family, written as a tool to help adoptive children understand their origins.” “There’s a suggestion, too, that Bezhig, her adoptive mother Golda (Lisa Edelstein) and her birth mother Patti (Ellyn Jade) are different sides of a singular shared experience.” Etymology
From adopt + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/adoptive