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
His adoptive mother, Tamara Moore, and a man, William Turnage, have been indicted in connection with his death.
—
The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
The boy’s adoptive mother, Tamera Moore, 52, was arrested April 12 on charges of murder and endangering children, according to a news release from the Springfield Township Police Department.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adoptive 
The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
The boy’s adoptive mother, Tamera Moore, 52, was arrested April 12 on charges of murder and endangering children, according to a news release from the Springfield Township Police Department.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adoptive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adoptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Adoptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adoptive. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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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