Adoptio naturam imitatur
“Adoption imitates nature.”
Justinian, Institutes 1.11.4
What does “Adoptio naturam imitatur” mean?
Adoptio naturam imitatur translates as “Adoption imitates nature.”
It means that adoption creates a family bond modelled on natural parenthood. In Roman law, an adopter therefore had to be older than the adopted child, as a parent would be.
“Adoptio naturam imitatur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Adoptio | adoption | nominative singular feminine of adoptio, “adoption” (third declension); the subject of the sentence |
| naturam | nature | accusative singular of natura, “nature” (first declension); the direct object |
| imitatur | imitates | 3rd person singular present indicative of imitor, “I imitate” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
How to pronounce “Adoptio naturam imitatur”
The difference is the t in adoptio: a plain t in Classical, a ts sound in Church Latin. The stress falls on the second syllable of adoptio and naturam, and on the third of imitatur.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “adoption imitates nature”. It comes from Justinian’s Institutes (1.11.4), the textbook of Roman law issued in the 530s under the Emperor Justinian, where it appears as “adoptio enim naturam imitatur”.
In that passage the line is a reason, not a slogan. It explains why the adopter must be older than the person adopted: a parent is older than a child by nature, so the law copies that order.
Later European jurists took over the principle, and adoption was long described as a legal imitation of natural parenthood. Today the line is quoted in discussions of family law and, more warmly, on cards that celebrate an adoption.
How to use “Adoptio naturam imitatur”
Suits an adoption-day card or gift inscription, a toast at a family celebration, or a family-law seminar or essay on the history of adoption. As a tattoo it works best if you know it began as a legal rule.
- Latin
- Adoptio naturam imitatur
- English
- Adoption imitates nature.
- Source
- Justinian, Institutes 1.11.4
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Family
Common mistakes
- It does not say adoption is second-best or fake. Imitari here means to model something on a pattern, and the passage is about legal rules.
- Dropping the enim from the full legal sentence is fine for a short motto, but the original reads “adoptio enim naturam imitatur”, where enim means “for” and gives a reason.
- Do not mix up the verb: imitatur is deponent, so it is passive in form but means “imitates”, not “is imitated”.
- The line is Roman legal Latin from Justinian’s Institutes, not a classical saying from Cicero or Virgil.
Questions about “Adoptio naturam imitatur”
What does “Adoptio naturam imitatur” mean literally?
“Adoption imitates nature.” Adoption is modelled on the natural bond between parent and child.
Who said “Adoptio naturam imitatur”?
It appears in Justinian’s Institutes (1.11.4), a Roman law textbook of the 6th century AD, in the form “adoptio enim naturam imitatur”.
How do you pronounce “Adoptio naturam imitatur”?
Classical: ah-DOP-tee-oh nah-TOO-rahm ih-mih-TAH-toor. Church Latin changes only the t in adoptio to a ts sound.
Is “Adoptio naturam imitatur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the Latin is correct as written. Just be aware that it began as a legal principle about the age of the adopter, so it reads more like a legal maxim than a poetic line.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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