assimilation

American  

[uh-sim-uh-ley-shuhn] / əˌsɪm əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• assimilations
  plural

1. the act or process of assimilating, or of absorbing information, experiences, etc..

   the need for quick assimilation of the facts.

2. the state or condition of being assimilated, or of being absorbed into something.

3. the process of adopting the language and culture of a dominant social group or nation, or the state of being socially integrated into the culture of the dominant group in a society.

   assimilation of immigrants into American life.

4. Physiology. the conversion of absorbed food into the substance of the body.

5. Botany. the total process of plant nutrition, including photosynthesis and the absorption of raw materials.

6. Sociology. the merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups, not involving biological amalgamation.

7. Phonetics. the act or process by which a sound becomes identical with or similar to a neighboring sound in one or more defining characteristics, as place of articulation, voice or voicelessness, or manner of articulation, as in for grandpa.

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assimilation Scientific  

/ ə-sĭm′ə-lā′shən /

1. The conversion of nutrients into living tissue; constructive metabolism.

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assimilation Cultural  

1. The process by which a person or persons acquire the social and psychological characteristics of a group: “Waves of immigrants have been assimilated into the American culture.”

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiassimilation
  noun
• nonassimilation
  noun
• reassimilation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• assimilations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of assimilation

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin assimilātiōn- (stem of assimilātiō ). See assimilate, -ion

Explanation

Whether you’re talking about ideas or nutrients, assimilation describes the act of taking something in and absorbing it fully. Assimilation comes from the Latin assimilationem, meaning “likeness" or "similarity.” People of different backgrounds and beliefs undergo assimilation when, through living together, they come to see themselves as part of a larger community, or when a small group is absorbed into, and made part of, a bigger group, such as the Irish immigrants in America in the 19th century. Assimilation can also refer to the absorption of new ideas into existing knowledge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assimilation assimilations

About 36 percent of their annual carbon assimilation occurred after growth had already stopped in late summer.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

But assimilation is both survival and validation for Joan, who returns to school as “Jo Hunt,” now played by Grace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

Michael Carrick had a neat way of describing Benjamin Sesko's assimilation into life at Manchester United.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

In this long history of forced English-language assimilation, Puerto Rico remains an outlier.

From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026

The walk toward assimilation progressed, a little at a time.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

The broader truth of the recent waves of immigration, the truth of a million small assimilations and adjustments, was easily lost in the tabloid terrors.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 29, 2016

These little quirks of idiom not only give the poem force and freshness, they seem to suggest the assimilations that the speakers are already sharing.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 28, 2010

It is possible to make a long list of Frank's sources and assimilations.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Over time you get a bunch of little assimilations."

From Time Magazine Archive

We have great need to be careful in these assimilations; some kinds of food are rich but not easily digested.

From The Church and Modern Life by Washington Gladden