Precise meaning of ‘adopted to general enthusiasm’ in this context?

A definition of this meaning of "to" is found in the OALD.

to 17 (OALD) ​while something else is happening or being done
♦ He left the stage to prolonged applause.

There are two main cases of use: what is happening or being done causes what "to" introduces or there is no connection. It is left to the reader to determine whether there is a connection or not.

1

• He left the stage to prolonged applause. (His performance on the stage is the reason for the applause.)
• adopted to general enthusiasm (What has been adopted and its adoption are the cause of the enthusiasm.)

2

• Jack steps off the plane to a pelting rain hitting his face, he lifts the case upward to block the rain, quickly jogged to the waiting reception area. (ref.)

In answer to the comment of user jsw29 (Why would one want to say that the agreement was adopted to general enthusiasm, rather than with general enthusiasm? In view of the core meanings of to and with, the latter may seem more apt.).

If the use of "with" is contemplated in place of "to", that leaves, out of the main categories of meanings, which are

• I Denoting opposition or derived notions [user LPH: subcategory of meanings "1" to "4"],
• II Denoting personal relation, etc. ["5" to "8"],
• III Denoting agreement (or disagreement) in some respect ["9" to "13"],
• IV Denoting association or accompaniment ["14" to "24"],
• V Denoting instrumentality or cause ["25" to "28"],

only the fourth one (one will convince themselves easily of this fact). The subcategories of meanings have been scanned and the resulting images are shown below.

"19" is not proper, as it does not apply to verbs, and the idea of association is rather one that defines closely something (not independent from it); this cannot account for all the people who are going to be enthusiastic shortly therafter. The definition does not fit the case well: the examples concerning that number are now listed (for the sake of distinguishing the context of use better).

• Harper's Magazine She liked people with snap. CONAN DOYLE he was young .. with a strong masculine face. Headlight Convicted .. for using a lorry .. with inefficient brakes. D. DUMAURIER Anyone with a gift for telepathy could read .. your mind. J. HIGGINGS Her English was excellent, but with a German accent.

"20" is not much better, and there is again this idea of restriction to the adoption, whereas the idea of displacement carried by "to" eradicates this impression.

"22" does not identify the idea for the same reason stated above: there is no question of the manner of carrying out the adoption. Here are the examples.

• S. BARING-GOULD The king escaped with difficulty. W. S.MAUGHAM They ate their simple meal with appetite. C. BAX A poet .. remembered with glowing affection. R. MAUGHAM He spoke English with a German accent. R. P. JHABVALA The Nawab treated him with .. exaggerated courtesy. with abandon, with bated breath, with gusto, with impunity, with one accord

"23" seem to be proper, however in many cases there the idea of restriction to the process, which is totally absent from the definition of "to" in the given context.

The examples for "22"

• C. BAX He married again — with seemingly better results. B. MALAMUD She greeted him .. with a fresh kiss. A. GARVE He went off . with scarcely a word. E. TAYLOR He .. got up with a jerk. Oxford Mail People went hopping mad .. with all sorts of crazy capers for charity.