Synonyms

assimilate

American

[uh-sim-uh-leyt, uh-sim-uh-lit, -leyt] / əˈsɪm əˌleɪt, əˈsɪm ə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

to take in and incorporate as one's own; absorb.

He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.
to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a dominant social group, nation, or the like; adapt or adjust.

to assimilate the new immigrants.
Physiology. to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues.
to cause to resemble (usually followed by to orwith ).
to compare; liken (usually followed by to orwith ).
Phonetics. to modify by assimilation.

verb (used without object)

to be or become absorbed.
to conform or adjust to the customs, attitudes, etc., of a dominant social group, nation, or the like.

The new arrivals assimilated easily and quickly.
Physiology. (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body; be absorbed into the system.
to bear a resemblance (usually followed by to orwith ).
Phonetics. to become modified by assimilation.

noun

something that is assimilated.

assimilate British

/ əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt /

verb

(tr) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly
(tr) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues
(intr) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood
to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted

the new immigrants assimilated easily
to become or cause to become similar
(usually foll by to) phonetics to change (a consonant) or (of a consonant) to be changed into another under the influence of one adjacent to it

(n) often assimilates to ŋ before (k), as in ``include''

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of assimilate

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin assimilātus “likened to, made like” (past participle of assimilāre ), equivalent to as- as- + simil- ( see similar) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

If you are trying to fit in, you are trying to assimilate. Imported from Latin, assimilate has the word similar within it and in fact, means "to become like something else." If someone moves to another country, he or she will need to assimilate by adapting to and taking in the language, culture and customs of the new place. You can also turn the phrase around to say that a country assimilates immigrants, which means that a place accepts immigrants and allows them to adapt easily. In scientific use, the body assimilates nutrients as a part of digestion.

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Vocabulary lists containing assimilate

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

assimilate assimilates assimilated assimilating

It could be a long season ahead but we cannot expect 10 new players to assimilate immediately.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In addition to therapists, she said there are plenty of resources online and international centers to help people assimilate.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

"I don't know if my body just doesn't assimilate the supplements as well, but minoxidil is definitely more effective long-term," she said.

From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026

One of the core themes within the documentary is how we as Chicanos view the American Dream: Can we achieve it by being ourselves, or do we have to assimilate?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026

She was from Tanzania but had managed to assimilate into American culture, as she had been in the States for about three years.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Jacques Bouvier added: 'Because rubisco assimilates the sugars which fuel life on Earth, improving this enzyme is one of the most promising avenues to help combat food insecurity.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2024

He has so far taken all the snaps with the first team, with mixed results, as he assimilates to new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s system.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 2, 2023

Comment: New season, same story: A few key returnees, a handful of talented transfers, and a system that assimilates newcomers as well as any in the land.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2021

It features the singer in a wedding dress and bedazzled eyebrows, and its capacious aesthetic assimilates references to “Mean Girls” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” John Waters and Quentin Tarantino.

From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2021

NOTE.—The forms ac-, af-, etc., are euphonic variations of ad-, and follow generally the rule that the final consonant of the prefix assimilates to the initial letter of the root.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

Born in 1906 into an assimilated German-Jewish family, Arendt grew up in Königsberg, then the capital of East Prussia in the German Empire, under the political tutelage of her mother, Martha.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The current study shows that those who have assimilated more positive age beliefs often show improvement, Levy said.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

Tom, whose family fled Nazi Germany when he was a boy, is a thoroughly assimilated, tennis-obsessed Englishman who brings his own more conciliatory perspective to the discussion as a British Jew.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

But as they and their children assimilated, most families left these ethnic enclaves for the suburbs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

Much of Greek culture had been assimilated by the Romans, but they had found the concept of discovery indigestible, and it is unlikely that Vergil, trained to think like a Roman, would have responded differently.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

“What are young immigrants assimilating to?” he asks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

Like a lot of veterans, he had trouble assimilating into the civilian world.

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

This type of skepticism continued even as wave after wave of immigrants — Irish, Italians, Jews, Chinese, Mexicans — ended up assimilating.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2025

So, it's not just about filter bubbles on social media but also about an innate way of assimilating information.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 15, 2024

When people, plants, and animals die, they stop assimilating C14.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023