English · Word Candidate

adopt

/əˈdɒpt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: adopts · adopting · adopted

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To take (a child, heir, friend, citizen, etc.) by choice into a relationship. — To take voluntarily (a child of other parents) to be in the place of, or as, one's own child.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

chọn và nhận một người vào mối quan hệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

A friend of mine recently adopted a Chinese baby girl found on the streets of Beijing.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To take (a child, heir, friend, citizen, etc.) by choice into a relationship. — To obtain (a pet) from a shelter or the wild.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

chọn lựa đưa vào mối quan hệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

We're going to adopt a Dalmatian.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “adopt” mean?

To take (a child, heir, friend, citizen, etc.) by choice into a relationship. — To take voluntarily (a child of other parents) to be in the place of, or as, one's own child.

Is “adopt” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.