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- pronunciation:
sI
m
leIt
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
assimilates, assimilating, assimilated |
| 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 absorb and incorporate (an ethnically distinct group) into the prevailing culture.
The villagers were forcibly assimilated into the society of the conquerors.- synonyms:
- acculturate, integrate, naturalize
- similar words:
- accustom, amalgamate, blend, convert, transform, unite
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| definition 3: |
to metabolize (food); digest.
The body assimilates some foods more completely than others.- synonyms:
- digest, metabolize
- similar words:
- consume, convert, eat, ingest
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| definition 4: |
in phonetics, to modify (a sound) to make it resemble a linguistically adjacent sound.
The /p/ sound in the word "grandpa" tends to assimilate the preceding /n/ sound so that /n/ becomes /m/. |
| related words: |
absorb, adapt, conform, get |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to be or become absorbed or incorporated.
Some groups, such as the Amish, have never assimilated into American society.- synonyms:
- adjust
- similar words:
- naturalize
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| definition 2: |
to adapt and conform.
Adult immigrants tended to hang on to their language and traditional ways, whereas the children usually assimilated.- synonyms:
- acclimate, adapt, adjust, conform
- similar words:
- accommodate, convert
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| definition 3: |
of food, to be or become absorbed into an organism's system.
These types of food assimilate quickly in the body.- synonyms:
- digest, metabolize
- similar words:
- convert
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| definition 4: |
of a speech sound, to become modified by a linguistically adjacent sound.
The /n/ sound assimilates to the following /p/ sound and becomes /m/ in the pronunciation. |
| related words: |
adapt, adjust, conform, digest |
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| derivations: |
assimilative (adj.), assimilator (n.) |
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