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Synonyms

subsume

American  
[suhb-soom] / səbˈsum /

verb (used with object)

subsumed, subsuming
  1. to consider or include (an idea, term, proposition, etc.) as part of a more comprehensive one.

  2. to bring (a case, instance, etc.) under a rule.

  3. to take up into a more inclusive classification.


subsume British  
/ səbˈsjuːm /

verb

  1. to incorporate (an idea, proposition, case, etc) under a comprehensive or inclusive classification or heading

  2. to consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • subsumable adjective

Etymology

Origin of subsume

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin subsūmere, equivalent to Latin sub- “under, below, beneath”; + sūmere “to take”; sub-, consume

Explanation

Subsume means to absorb or include. A successful company might subsume a failing competitor through a merger, or love may subsume you in the early stages of a romance. Subsume is a verb that comes from the Latin words sub, which means “from below,” and sumere, which means “take.” So subsume means “to take from below,” like a sneak attack by some kind of deep-sea creature. Sailors and scuba divers should beware of monsters from the blackest depths waiting to subsume them.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing subsume

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.

It's a vital question at a time when artificial intelligence threatens to subsume Hollywood.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

As directed by Mr. Villazón, the chorus, which plays a major role in the opera, is not benign: Its goal is to subsume Amina and suppress rebellion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Eventually, this observation takes on remarkable proportions as their lives subsume his own after he begins handling their public relations concerns.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024

Here, Freiman scratches at the difference between knowing and knowingness, and how our blind spots can subsume our personality.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023

We are invited to subsume questions of law and of the application of law under the social ideal of the time and place.

From An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law by Pound, Roscoe