assimilate

CEFRC1

/əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To absorb new ideas or become similar to another group.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.

Examples

  • The weak easily assimilate the opinions of the strong.

  • You must assimilate into new surroundings.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.

  2. To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.

  3. To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.

More examples

In context

  • Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.

  • The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.

  • The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

New immigrants gradually blank into the local culture while preserving their own traditions.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Late Latin assimilātus, variant of Latin assimulātus (“made similar, imitated”), perfect passive participle of assimulō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad + simulō (“to imitate, copy”), from similis (“like, similar”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“together, one”). Doublet of assemble.