adopt out

verb

To expel a child from a family by placing them for adoption; to put a child up for adoption privately, without going through an adoption agency.

“The Chinese girl was adopted out to the United States.”

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Meanings

verbadopt out (third-person singular simple present adopts out, present participle adopting out, simple past and past participle adopted out)

present singular third person adopts out · participle present adopting out · participle past adopted out · past adopted out

  1. To expel a child from a family by placing them for adoption; to put a child up for adoption privately, without going through an adoption agency.
  2. To send a son or daughter away to live in another country. (Used with to).

    The Chinese girl was adopted out to the United States.

  3. To send a child to be adopted by family of a different culture and ethnicity.
Cite this entry
APA

adopt out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adopt%20out

MLA

“adopt out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adopt%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adopt out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adopt%20out.

Source: adopt out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.