assimilate

American  

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

verb (used with object)

• assimilates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• assimilated,
  past participle,  past
• assimilating
  present participle

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

   He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.

2. 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.

3. Physiology. to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues.

4. to cause to resemble (usually followed by to orwith ).

5. to compare; liken (usually followed by to orwith ).

6. Phonetics. to modify by assimilation.

---

verb (used without object)

• assimilates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• assimilated,
  past participle,  past
• assimilating
  present participle

1. to be or become absorbed.

2. 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.

3. Physiology. (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body; be absorbed into the system.

4. to bear a resemblance (usually followed by to orwith ).

5. Phonetics. to become modified by assimilation.

noun

1. something that is assimilated.

assimilate British  

/ əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly

2. (tr) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues

3. (intr) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood

4. to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted

   the new immigrants assimilated easily

5. to become or cause to become similar

6. (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''

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• assimilation
  noun
• assimilator
  noun
• reassimilate
  verb
• assimilable
  adjective
• assimilative
  adjective
• nonassimilating
  adjective
• unassimilated
  adjective
• unassimilating
  adjective
• well-assimilated
  adjective
• assimilably
  adverb
• assimilatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• assimilating
  present
• assimilated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• assimilate
  simple
• assimilates
  simple
• have assimilated
  perfect
• has assimilated
  perfect
• am assimilating
  progressive
• are assimilating
  progressive
• is assimilating
  progressive
• have been assimilating
  perfect progressive
• has been assimilating
  perfect progressive

Past

• assimilated
  simple
• had assimilated
  perfect
• was assimilating
  progressive
• were assimilating
  progressive
• had been assimilating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will assimilate
  simple
• will have assimilated
  perfect
• will be assimilating
  progressive
• will have been assimilating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

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

"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

Like any other hive mind, the Others have a biological imperative to assimilate the immune, whether the immune wants to be integrated or not.

From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2025

As someone straddling languages and latitudes, Moura believes that international actors with career aspirations in the U.S. often try to assimilate, diluting themselves in the process.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025

Immigrants were encouraged to acculturate as quickly as they could—meaning that they must learn a new language, giving up traditions, customs, heritage, etc., in order to blend and assimilate into the general population.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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

Hazel-May, however, assimilates just fine, and Nella begins to feel increasingly on the outs with those around her.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023

ChatGPT, Microsoft-controlled AI that grows smarter at mimicking human behavior as it assimilates more knowledge in a massive database, presents the illusion of talking with a friend who wants to do your work for you.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 14, 2023

Meanwhile, in the ballrooms of Monrovia, Gbessa uneasily assimilates into the Americo-Liberian settler elite.

From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2019

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

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

The Freies Jüdisches Lehrhaus in Frankfurt was his attempt to open a way for assimilated Jews to re-enter Judaism without forfeiting the culture that had shaped them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

Electricity eventually assimilated into the economy and our consciousness, outlets everywhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

Without being told, I soon assimilated the elaborate rules that governed the relations between men and women.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

The U.S. has a strong record of assimilating newcomers, from Asians in San Francisco to Irish in New York to Cubans in Miami, and birthright citizenship has been part of that story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

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

For her, the Christmas ritual is a way to connect with the majority without assimilating into it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2023

Returning to District 8 or assimilating into another district would be impossible.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• comprehend
• grasp
• incorporate
• understand