assimilation

American  

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

noun

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

• antiassimilation noun
• nonassimilation noun
• reassimilation noun

Etymology

Origin of assimilation

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

Example Sentences

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

With effective assimilation, legal immigration enhanced America’s size and strength.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

That was due in part to assimilation of the Ashkenazi population -- forced and otherwise -- in the Soviet Union, the United States and Israel, where Hebrew is the official language.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

Some of us may have lost our “mother tongue,” as my nanni used to call it, but the custom of tameez—respect—for elders stays strong, despite decades of assimilation.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed