/ əˈdɒpt; NAmE əˈdɑːpt/ verb
CHILD
1.
to take sb else's child into your family and become its legal parent(s) :
[ v ]
a campaign to encourage childless couples to adopt
[ vn ]
to adopt a child
She was forced to have her baby adopted.
—compare foster
METHOD
2.
[ vn ] to start to use a particular method or to show a particular attitude towards sb/sth :
All three teams adopted different approaches to the problem.
SUGGESTION
3.
[ vn ] to formally accept a suggestion or policy by voting :
to adopt a resolution
The council is expected to adopt the new policy at its next meeting.
NEW NAME / COUNTRY
4.
[ vn ] to choose a new name, a country, a custom, etc. and begin to use it as your own :
to adopt a name / title / language
Early Christians in Europe adopted many of the practices of the older, pagan religions.
WAY OF BEHAVING
5.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to use a particular manner, way of speaking, expression, etc. :
He adopted an air of indifference.
CANDIDATE
6.
[ vn ] adopt sb (as sth) ( BrE , politics ) to choose sb as a candidate in an election or as a representative :
She was adopted as parliamentary candidate for Wood Green.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: via French from Latin adoptare , from ad- to + optare choose.