əˈdäpshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English adopcioun, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French adoption, from Latin adoption-, adoptio, from ad- + option-, optio choosing — more at option
1. : act of adopting or state of being adopted
2. : the taking of an outsider into a family, clan, or tribal group usually by investing him with the rights and responsibilities of a member by birth but occasionally by giving him only a subservient status