adoptive
[ uh-dop-tiv ]
Origin of adoptive
1usage note For adoptive
Although adoptive in the sense “acquired or related by adoption” can refer to either parent or child in such a relationship, adoptive is customarily applied to the parent ( her adoptive mother ) and adopted to the child ( their adopted son ).
Other words from adoptive
- a·dop·tive·ly, adverb
- un·a·dop·tive, adjective
- un·a·dop·tive·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with adoptive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use adoptive in a sentence
God, the Father Almighty, has one Son naturally, and many adoptively.
British Dictionary definitions for adoptive
adoptive
/ (əˈdɒptɪv) /
adjective
acquired or related by adoption: an adoptive father
of or relating to adoption: Compare adopted
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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