[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

adopt \adopt"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. adopted; p. pr.  vb. n.
   adopting. l. adoptare; ad + optare to choose, desire: cf.
   f. adopter. see option.
   1. to take by choice into relationship, as, child, heir,
      friend, citizen, etc.; esp. to take voluntarily a child
      of other parents to be in the place of, or as, one's own
      child.
      1913 webster

   2. to take or receive as one's own what is not so naturally;
      to select and take or approve; as, to adopt the view or
      policy of another; these resolutions were adopted.
      1913 webster
see also:
adopted adopting option 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

adopt
     v 1: choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies,
          strategies or plans; "she followed the feminist
          movement"; "the candidate espouses republican ideals"
          syn: follow, espouse
     2: take up and practice as one's own syn: borrow, take over,
         take up
     3: take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities; "when
        will the new president assume office?" syn: assume, take
        on, take over
     4: take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect; "his voice
        took on a sad tone"; "the story took a new turn"; "he
        adopted an air of superiority"; "she assumed strange
        manners"; "the gods assume human or animal form in these
        fables" syn: assume, acquire, take on, take
     5: take into one's family; "they adopted two children from
        nicaragua" syn: take in
     6: put into dramatic form; "adopt a book for a screenplay"
        syn: dramatize, dramatise
     7: take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone
        and use it as one's own; "she embraced catholocism"; "they
        adopted the jewish faith" syn: espouse, embrace, sweep
        up
see also:
follow espouse borrow take over take up assume 
take on acquire take on take take in 
dramatize dramatise embrace sweep up 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

65 moby thesaurus words for "adopt":
   americanize, anglicize, accept, acculturate, acculturize, admit,
   affect, affiliate, appropriate, approve, arrogate, assimilate,
   assume, carry, colonize, confer citizenship, conquer, copy,
   derive from, domesticate, embrace, encroach, enslave, espouse,
   go in for, go native, hog, imitate, indent, infringe, invade,
   jump a claim, make free with, make use of, mock, monopolize,
   naturalize, occupy, overrun, pass, pirate, plagiarize, play god,
   preempt, preoccupy, prepossess, pretend to, ratify, requisition,
   seize, simulate, sit on, squat on, steal, subjugate, take,
   take all of, take in, take it all, take on, take over,
   take possession of, take up, trespass, usurp

Adopt >> A Words
Adopt, definition of term: Adopt
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