Adopt means to take something as one's own, or to choose to follow a particular method, rule, or course. It can also refer to taking someone into one’s family through legal means. The term implies deliberate acceptance or adaptation, rather than mere acquisition, and is commonly used in legal, organizational, and social contexts.
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"The committee decided to adopt a new policy on remote work."
"Many families choose to adopt a child from overseas."
"The school adopted a more inclusive curriculum this year."
"She adopted a proactive approach to solving the issue and saw improvements quickly."
Adopt comes from Latin adoptare, formed from ad- 'toward' and capere 'take, seize'. The term originally meant to legally take a child into one’s family, a sense that emerged in Latin as a formal, sanctioned act. In Medieval Latin, adoptare carried the idea of taking on or accepting something into one’s control, often with legal or official weight. By the 14th century in English, adopt began to be used more broadly beyond familial contexts, encompassing the acceptance of laws, customs, or methods. In the 16th–18th centuries, adoption expanded to include the act of choosing or adopting ideas, policies, or strategies. The modern sense—taking up or accepting something for use—appears in print by the 19th century and becomes common in business and governance language in the 20th and 21st centuries. The word retains a normative, intentional connotation across its uses, typically implying a voluntary, considered action rather than incidental acquisition.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "adopt" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "adopt"
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Pronunciation is /əˈdɒpt/ (US/UK/AU generally). The first syllable is a reduced schwa /ə/ and the second syllable carries primary stress: /ˈdɒpt/. The mouth starts relaxed for the /ə/ and immediately tightens for /dɒpt/. Tip: connect the /d/ to the rounded /ɒ/ with a brief stop, then end with a soft /pt/ cluster. Listen to native examples and mimic the rhythm: a-DOPT.
Common errors include misplacing stress (pronouncing as a-DOPT with accidental stress on the first syllable) and softening the final /pt/ into a /t/ or /p/ only. Another frequent mistake is using /æ/ in the first syllable (as in 'ad‑apt'), which changes meaning and sounds off. Correct by ensuring the second syllable holds the main stress and keeping the /ɒ/ in British-like vowel quality, with a crisp /pt/ closure at the end.
US/UK/AU share /əˈdɒpt/, with minor vowel shifts. In General American, /ɒ/ leans to /ɑ/ in many regions, producing /əˈdɑpt/. In some UK varieties, non-rhoticity doesn’t affect this word much, but vowel length and quality can vary slightly; Australian English tends to be even more centralized in the first vowel and can have a slightly shorter /ɒ/ before /pt/. Overall, the main stress on the second syllable remains; r-coloring is minimal since /r/ isn’t present.
The challenge lies in the unstressed first syllable /ə/ immediately followed by a strong secondary consonant cluster /dɒpt/. Getting the /d/ and the voiceless /pt/ closure crisp requires precise tongue tip placement and airflow: the /d/ is a voiced alveolar stop, and /pt/ is a voiceless consonant cluster that finishes with a quick release. Coordinating the transition from a reduced vowel to the tense, compact final /pt/ can trip speakers up, especially when attempting rapid speech or in connected speech.
A unique angle is the avoidance of a long 'a' sound in the first syllable; keep it as a neutral schwa rather than a stressed ‘ay’ vowel. Also, ensure the final /pt/ is not devoiced into a 'p' only; the /t/ must be released with a brief voiceless stop. The interplay between a relaxed /ə/ and a tight /pt/ makes the rhythm of ad-OPT distinctive, especially in careful speech. IPA reference: /əˈdɒpt/.
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