“Her adopted parents raised her in Boston.”
Usage Entry 1032 / 1350 60-second read
Adoptive vs. Adopted
Describes the adopter versus the one adopted.
The comparisoni
“Her adoptive parents raised her in Boston.”
The ruleii
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ADOPTIVE parent. ADOPTED child.
ADOPTIVE describes the people who adopt (adoptive parents, adoptive family). ADOPTED describes the person or thing taken in (adopted child, adopted country).
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Parents are adoptivE. Children are adoptEd.