adopted

adopted — adjective

1. describes a child who has legally become a permanent member of a family differen

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a child who has legally become a permanent member of a family different from the family they were born into

例句

Tomás introduced his adopted sister to everyone at the birthday party.

attributive use: adopted + sister

The Kim family's adopted daughter learned to cook her grandmother's special dumpling recipe.

attributive use: adopted + daughter

同義詞
  • foster

    temporary, not permanent legal adoption — a foster child is cared for by a family without the full legal transfer of parenthood

反義詞
  • biological

    related by birth rather than by legal adoption

文法句型

adopted + noun (child, son, daughter, baby)

用法筆記

Frequently used attributively before family-role nouns (child, son, daughter, baby, sibling). The adoptive parents or family is described with the adjective 'adoptive', not 'adopted'.

常見錯誤

❌Her adopted parents are very kind.
✅Her adoptive parents are very kind.
💡Use 'adoptive' for the parents who do the adopting; 'adopted' describes the child.

2. describes a place or country that a person has chosen to make their home, even t

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a place or country that a person has chosen to make their home, even though they were not born there

例句

After twenty years in Lisbon, Brazil became Mei-Lin's adopted homeland.

adopted + homeland — place chosen as home

Dr. Patel often says that London is his adopted city, where his career and family took root.

adopted + city — place of chosen residence

同義詞
  • chosen

    broader and less formal — 'chosen home' emphasises personal preference without the legal or permanent nuance of 'adopted'

  • new

    simpler and more neutral — 'new country' simply states recent arrival without the emotional belonging of 'adopted'

反義詞
  • native

    the place where one was born, as opposed to the place one chooses later in life

  • birth

    used in phrases like 'birth country' to contrast with 'adopted country'

文法句型

adopted + noun (country, home, city, land)

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a person or group who moved voluntarily. Common with nouns like country, home, city, land, nation. This sense carries a warm, positive connotation of belonging by choice.

3. describes a road or public path that is formally taken over and maintained by a

3.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a road or public path that is formally taken over and maintained by a local council or government authority

例句

Oak Avenue became an adopted road last year, so the city now repairs all the potholes.

became an adopted road — change of maintenance responsibility

The narrow lane behind the market is not an adopted street, and the residents must pay for their own snow removal.

negative form: not an adopted street

同義詞
  • public

    simpler and more general — 'public road' means anyone can use it, while 'adopted road' specifically means the council maintains it legally

反義詞
  • private

    a road that belongs to individuals or a company and is not maintained by the local government

  • unadopted

    the direct technical opposite — a road that the council has not taken responsibility for

文法句型

adopted + noun (road, street, lane, path)

became adopted

用法筆記

Primarily used in British and Commonwealth English, especially in legal or local-government contexts. The opposite is a 'private road' or 'unadopted road', which the residents must maintain themselves.

常見錯誤

❌The city swept the adopted streets after the festival.' (referring to any street the city cleans)
✅The city swept the adopted streets after the festival.
💡Correct only if the city has formally taken responsibility for maintaining those specific streets; this is a legal status, not a description of routine cleaning.