Adoption, broadly defined as the assumption of parental status in relation to individuals who were begotten by others, is an age-old phenomenon. Although adoption, as a means to formalize the status of a person's material and spiritual heirs, has been legislated by different societies at least since the Roman Empire, it was only in the mid-twentieth century that it became institutionalized in its present, commonly identified form of modern, plenary adoption. This entry outlines how, since the end of World War II, social forces have changed the face of child adoption, introducing new dimensions such as those involved in transracial and transnational adoptions. Presenting adoption as a multidisciplinary theme, we point out distinct perspectives while raising elements that continue to animate debates.