1 C1 neutral
To arrange for a child to be permanently placed with an adoptive family.
"Unable to care for the newborn, she made the difficult decision to adopt him out."
separable
adopt out
C1 neutral separable transitive
To place a child (or sometimes an animal) with adoptive parents; to arrange for someone to be adopted by another family.
In plain English
To arrange for a child or animal to go and live permanently with a new family.
What does "adopt out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To place an animal with a new permanent owner (used by shelters and rescue organisations).
"The shelter adopts out over 200 dogs every year."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To send out (out of the family) through adoption.
Actually means
To arrange for a child or animal to go and live permanently with a new family.
Usage tip
Commonly used in social work, animal rescue, and legal contexts. More common in North American English. Often used in passive: 'the baby was adopted out'. Also used for animal rescue organisations placing animals with new owners.
Words that pair with "adopt out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
baby child infant animal puppy cat
How to conjugate "adopt out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
adopt out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
adopts out
he/she/it
Past simple
adopted out
yesterday
Past participle
adopted out
have + pp
-ing form
adopting out
continuous
Hear "adopt out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "adopt out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "adopt out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
give up for adoption place for adoption rehome
Keep exploring
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