immersion

American  

[ih-mur-zhuhn, -shuhn] / ɪˈmɜr ʒən, -ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of immersing.

2. state of being immersed.

3. state of being deeply engaged or involved; absorption.

4. baptism in which the whole body of the person is submerged in the water.

5. Also called ingress.  Astronomy. the entrance of a heavenly body into an eclipse by another body, an occultation, or a transit.

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adjective

1. concentrating on one course of instruction, subject, or project to the exclusion of all others for several days or weeks; intensive.

   an immersion course in conversational French.

immersion British  

/ ɪˈmɜːʃən /

noun

1. a form of baptism in which part or the whole of a person's body is submerged in the water

2. Also: ingress.  astronomy the disappearance of a celestial body prior to an eclipse or occultation

3. the act of immersing or state of being immersed

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Other Word Forms

• nonimmersion noun

Etymology

Origin of immersion

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin immersiōn- (stem of immersiō ) a dipping in. See immerse, -ion

Explanation

Immersion is the act of dipping something in a substance, completely covering it. It might be something physical, such as plunging your body into water, or metaphorical, such as becoming totally immersed in a project. The Latin background of immersion includes the root mergere, "to plunge." The idea of immersion as a physical submergence came first and the idea of something being absorbed in a situation came about later. The idea behind immersion is that of complete coverage, whether that be by water, as in Baptism, or by attention, as in "immersion learning," an idea for learning a language trademarked in 1965 by the Berlitz company.

Example Sentences

Scoop out a portion of the soup and blend it smooth, or use an immersion blender to break down just part of the pot.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

At one point the immersion in words triggered a panic attack, “like I was hearing voices.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

"It was the immersion in nature and having things that were green around me that made me feel happy, and plants were an escapism," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

These programs — while useful, innovative and entertaining — never allowed for full-on Spanish-language immersion for viewers, relying heavily on English as their primary tongue.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Two days a week after work, Dorothy and the other new girls filed into a makeshift classroom at the laboratory for a full immersion in the fundamental theory of aerodynamics.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly