Here are some adoption terms that I found off the website of the agency that I used.
| Negative Terms | Preferred Terms |
| Gave up her child for adoption | Placed her child for adoption |
| Real parent; natural parent | Birth parent, biological parent |
| Adoptive parent | Parent |
| His adopted child | His child |
| Illegitimate | Born to unmarried parents |
| Adoptee | Child who was adopted |
| To keep | To parent |
| Adoptable child; available child | Waiting child |
| Foreign adoption | International adoption |
| Track down parents | Search |
| Unwanted child | Child placed for adoption |
| Is adopted | Was adopted |
