adoptedadj.
/əˈdɒptᵻd/, U.S. /əˈdɑptəd/ 1.
a. Taken legally or informally into any relationship, esp. that of a child. Also: designating a person's parent, sibling, etc., that is such due to that person's adoption; adoptive. Cf. adopt v. 1a, 2a.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > [adjective] > related by adoption
adoptivec1429
adopted1483
adoptative1557
adoptiousa1616
affiliated1623
adoptional1660
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. ccccxxiiv/1 Of hym he made as of his owne adopted sone.
1579 L. Tomson tr. J. Calvin Serm. Epist. S. Paule to Timothie & Titus 985/2 Hee might haue ben thought to haue beene of the crowne, as the Kings daughters adopted sonne.
a1592 R. Greene Frier Bacon (1594) sig. F2 I accept thee heere, Without suspence, as my adopted sonne.
a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) i. ii. 223 To be adopted heire to Fredricke. View more context for this quotation
1682 J. Dryden Medall 9 The Stamp and Coyn of their adopted Lord.
1724 T. Salmon Crit Ess. Marriage 173 The Roman Laws..allowed no Man to marry his adopted Daughter, though all the Right of Adoption had been formally reversed.
1799 J. West Tale of Times III. 238 Whence this cruel distrust of your adopted brother?
1811 E. Rogers Lives Twelve Caesars II. 3 The senate decreed him all honors, divine as well as human, as they had before done to his adopted father, Julius Caesar.
1869 T. W. Higginson Malbone ii. 18 In every town there is one young maiden..who is the confidante of all girls and the adopted sister of all young men.
1914 M. Vandercook Loves of Ambrose iv. 61 I am what one might call a recently adopted friend.
1946 B. Spock Common Sense Bk. Baby & Child Care 503 He may fear secretly that his adopted parents might some day give him up too.
1998 Indianapolis Star 25 Jan. e1/3 A higher credit of $6,000 is available for adopted children with ‘special needs’.
b. Admitted into membership of a society, group, nation, etc. Cf. adopt v. 2b.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > [adjective] > admitted as member
incorporate1614
adopted1618
joined1849
1618 T. Adams Happines of Church i. 6 Somewhat was said of adopted Citizens, such as were strangers borne.
1691 T. Nourse Disc. Nat. & Reveal'd Relig. ix. 105 These..Adopted Members, were lookt upon as Branches grafted into the Common Stock.
1719 Mem. Life E. Ashmole in E. Ashmole Hist. & Antiq. Berks. I. p. vi From these is derived the Fraternity of Adopted Masons, Accepted Masons, or Free Masons.
1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero (1742) II. vi. 65 The only instances of Foreigners, and adopted Citizens who had ever advanced themselves to either of those honors.
1828 C. Lamb Old Margate Hoy in Elia 2nd Ser. 30 An adopted denizen of the [sea].
1877 Harper's Mag. May 806/2 Our consular agent at Newport is a Massachusetts boy who came over here many years ago,..became an adopted Englishman, and was finally elected mayor of the town.
1916 R. L. McCardell Diamond from Sky xxix. 423 You may be an adopted gipsy, and Arthur may be a born one, but of us three I am the real Romany.
1993 H. Jacobson Roots Schmoots xv. 330 I could stay here and become an adopted resident of Jerusalem as they all are.
c. Designating a road, etc., for which a local authority has taken responsibility. Cf. adopt v. 2e.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > road > [adjective] > adopted by local authority
adopted1857
1857 W. Fordyce Hist. & Antiq. Durham II. 157/2 The length of adopted roads in the township is 3 miles 3 furlongs 8 roods; the requisite expenditure being about £600 per annum.
1938 Times 31 May (Building Soc. No.) ix/3 Roads are either adopted or unadopted.
1951 E. Barker Princ. Social & Polit. Theory ii. iii. 50 An ‘adopted’ road is incorporated into the road system of a town.
2009 South Wales Echo (Nexis) 7 Apr. 3 The council has both an obligation and a moral duty to keep the adopted roads and lanes in a good and serviceable state.
2. Taken or chosen as one's own or for one's own use; assumed.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > taking possession > [adjective] > fitted or inclined to adopt > adopted
adopted1575
1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 276 Nayle them faste togyther, with the poynte of a Partridge feather..,so as it passe through bothe the quilles, as well that whiche stycketh faste in the hawkes wing, as the other borowed and adopted feather.
1606 T. Morton Full Satisfaction conc. Double Romish Iniquitie iii. ii. ix. 72 They maintained openly lying in his proper name; you couertly vnder an adopted name of Aequiuocation.
1660 J. Dryden Astræa Redux 7 These Vertues Galba in a stranger sought; And Piso to Adopted Empire brought.
1758 T. Smollett Hist. Eng. (ed. 3) VII. ix. 317 The marquis of Tweedale moved for an address of thanks, which..was supported by the lord C. on his new adopted maxims.
1796 E. Burke Let. to Noble Lord in Wks. (1815) VIII. 40 To support with unrelaxing vigilance every right,..every franchise, in this my adopted..country.
1821 J. F. Cooper Spy II. xiii. 203 Henry remembered his situation, and instantly assumed the humble demeanour of his adopted character.
1876 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest II. x. 458 Gisa does not seem very warm in his patriotism for his adopted country.
1937 Human Biol. 9 501 The transvestite must attempt to duplicate the behavior-pattern of his adopted sex.
1962 A. Bello My Life 234 Africa is roughly divided into those whose adopted language is English and those who use French.
2004 S. Maconie Cider with Roadies v. 55 Anderson was an ex-milkman from Accrington, but you would not have guessed this from his adopted persona.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1483