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as·sim·i·late
 assimilate
- pronunciation:
sI
m
leIt
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
assimilated, assimilates, assimilating |
| definition 1: |
to absorb and incorporate (knowledge, experience, or the like).
She'd studied a great deal, but she needed more time to assimilate the information before the oral exam.- synonyms:
- absorb, digest, incorporate
- similar words:
- appropriate, consume, imbibe
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| definition 2: |
to metabolize (food); digest.
- synonyms:
- digest, metabolize
- similar words:
- consume, convert, eat, ingest
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| definition 3: |
to absorb and incorporate (an ethnically distinct group) into the prevailing culture.
- synonyms:
- acculturate, integrate, naturalize
- similar words:
- accustom, amalgamate, blend, convert, transform, unite
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| definition 4: |
in phonetics, to modify (a sound) to make it resemble a linguistically adjacent sound.
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| related words: |
absorb, adapt, conform, get |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to be or become absorbed or incorporated.
- synonyms:
- adjust
- similar words:
- naturalize
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| definition 2: |
of food, to be or become absorbed into an organism's system.
- synonyms:
- digest, metabolize
- similar words:
- convert
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| definition 3: |
to adapt and conform.
Some immigrant groups assimilate easily, while others cling to their old ways.- synonyms:
- acclimate, adapt, adjust, conform
- similar words:
- accommodate, convert
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| definition 4: |
of a speech sound, to become modified by a linguistically adjacent sound.
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| related words: |
adapt, adjust, conform, digest |
| derivations: |
assimilative (adj.), assimilator (n.) |
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