assimilate
verb
as·sim·i·late
| \ ə-ˈsi-mə-ˌlāt
\
\
assimilated;
assimilating
Definition of assimilate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to take into the mind and thoroughly understand
assimilate information Students need to assimilate new concepts.
b
: to take in and utilize as nourishment : to absorb into the system
The body assimilates digested food.
2a
: to absorb into the cultural tradition of a population or group
… the belief that tolerant hosts would be able to assimilate immigrants of whatever creed or colour.— Brian Holmes
b
: to make similar
… the only faculty that seems to assimilate man to the immortal gods.— Joseph Conrad
: to be taken in or absorbed : to become assimilated
Food assimilates better if taken slowly.— Francis Cutler Marshall
assimilate
noun
as·sim·i·late
| \ ə-ˈsi-mə-lət
, -ˌlāt\
, -ˌlāt\
Definition of assimilate (Entry 2 of 2)
: something that is assimilated
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Other Words from assimilate
Verb
assimilator
\ -ˌlā-tər
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for assimilate
Synonyms: Verb
analogize, bracket, compare, equate, liken
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of assimilate in a Sentence
Verb
Over time, most of the inhabitants of the "Little Italies" … assimilated rapidly to the society … — Stephan Thernstrom, Times Literary Supplement, 26 May 2000 Those groups were eagerly assimilating into the larger culture and rejecting their own cuisine … — Corby Kummer, New York Times Book Review, 16 Aug. 1998 The mistaken attempts to assimilate Lindner's paintings into the Pop Art movement in the 1960s … — Hilton Kramer, Arts & Antiques, January 1997 Children need to assimilate new ideas. There was a lot of information to assimilate at school. Schools were used to assimilate the children of immigrants. They found it hard to assimilate to American society. Many of these religious traditions have been assimilated into the culture.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Believe it or not, indoor cycling played a pivotal role in assimilating me to a new city. — Julia Sullivan, SELF, "I Tried an At-Home Streaming Bike and I Have a Lot of Thoughts," 4 Sep. 2019 Sheehan said the necropsy explained some of the behavior of the deceased bird, which struggled to assimilate to Lake Eola. — Ryan Gillespie, orlandosentinel.com, "Orlando thought it received two male swans. It turns out one, who died, was female.," 7 Aug. 2019 The focus right now is gaining fitness, rebuilding confidence and allowing the new signings to assimilate to the team. — SI.com, "Manchester United vs Perth Glory Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News," 12 July 2019 The league does not oversee how teams assimilate their international players, often signed as teenagers, but franchises are responding to the increasing diversity. — Jesse Dougherty, courant.com, "MLB, long expecting Latin players to learn English, is finally beginning to speak their language," 4 June 2019 The struggle between assimilating and honoring one’s cultural history is painful and knotted for many immigrants, and it’s given room to breathe here. — Isaac Feldberg, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The Terror: Infamy’ conjures ghosts of a real American horror story," 11 Aug. 2019 Donuts represent an achievable, straightforward path to an American life into which one can assimilate and from which one can profit. — The Economist, "How donuts fuelled the American Dream," 26 July 2019 Altman does an exceptional job not only attracting but assimilating newcomers, using an offensive system that can be easily grasped and quickly tweaked to fit his personnel. — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "Stock report: USC goes the FCS route; UCLA should follow (plus Oregon hoops and Washington State football)," 18 July 2019 Community ties are very important in Igbo culture, and so, while the descendants of, say, American immigrants are encouraged to assimilate, the ohu have never lost their outsider status. — Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, The New Yorker, "The Descendants of Slaves in Nigeria Fight for Equality," 11 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Now, the pressure is on resident advisers and others to help the Class of 2023 assimilate. — Nick Anderson, Washington Post, "There’s no room in the residence halls at Virginia Tech. That’s why freshmen are at a Holiday Inn Express.," 25 Aug. 2019 According to Sessions, a good immigrant assimilates. — Jeneé Osterheldt, kansascity, "This immigrant now lives the American Dream: Do you have a problem with that?," 6 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assimilate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for assimilate
assimilate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of assimilate
: to learn (something) so that it is fully understood and can be used