Adoptive
/əˈdɒp.tɪv/noun
Relating to adoption or to someone who is adopted.
Did you know?Its root traces back to Latin adoptare, built from ad- (“to”) + optare (“to choose, wish”), so the word originally carried the idea of being deliberately selected.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃ep-
“to choose, seek, desire”
Latin
Latin
optāre
“to choose, wish, desire”
Latin
Latin
adoptāre
“to choose for oneself, adopt”
Old French
Old French
adoptif
“adoptive; pertaining to adoption”
Middle English
English
adoptif
“adoptive, relating to adoption”
Modern English
English
adoptive
“relating to adoption or an adopted person”