assimilate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take in and incorporate as one's own; absorb.
He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.
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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.
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Physiology. to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues.
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to cause to resemble (usually followed by to orwith ).
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to compare; liken (usually followed by to orwith ).
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Phonetics. to modify by assimilation.
verb (used without object)
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to be or become absorbed.
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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.
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Physiology. (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body; be absorbed into the system.
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to bear a resemblance (usually followed by to orwith ).
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Phonetics. to become modified by assimilation.
noun
verb
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(tr) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly
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(tr) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues
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(intr) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood
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to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted
the new immigrants assimilated easily
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to become or cause to become similar
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(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
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assimilationnoun
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assimilatornoun
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reassimilateverb
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assimilableadjective
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assimilativeadjective
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nonassimilatingadjective
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unassimilatedadjective
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unassimilatingadjective
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well-assimilatedadjective
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assimilablyadverb
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assimilativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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assimilatesimple
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assimilatessimple
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have assimilatedperfect
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has assimilatedperfect
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am assimilatingprogressive
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are assimilatingprogressive
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is assimilatingprogressive
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have been assimilatingperfect progressive
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has been assimilatingperfect progressive
Past
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assimilatedsimple
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had assimilatedperfect
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was assimilatingprogressive
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were assimilatingprogressive
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had been assimilatingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing assimilate
List 1
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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Lord of the Flies
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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:
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
“Room” shows how arduous it can be to assimilate the rules and mores of the free world after a lifetime of captivity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 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
Inevitably, that single author will have to sweat copiously in order to assimilate material from many disciplines, and will require guidance from many colleagues.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
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
He assimilates himself so he can get in contact with Jack in the Borg collective.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
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
They may have assimilated all too well to the culture of academia and big cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 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
Just as his own immigrant forebears assimilated and their children were average, upwardly mobile, all-American citizens, so too are the more recent immigrants.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025
Unlike the Rezaeis’ garden, Babou’s hadn’t been assimilated by fresh mint, but it was only a matter of time.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
“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
They, too, shifted from plant-based to fungal-based food webs as the main source of their energy, assimilating more than 50 percent brown carbon under warming conditions, compared to 26 percent at control sites.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 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
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
