Assimilated
/əˈsɪməleɪtɪd/
verbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To take in and incorporate as one's own; to become similar.
/əˈsɪməleɪtɪd/
verbneutralIntermediate
General
To absorb and integrate into a larger whole.
The new students quickly assimilated into the school culture.
💡 Simply: To become part of a larger group.
More Examples
2
The plant assimilated the sunlight for energy.
How It's Used
Sociology
"Immigrant communities often strive to assimilate into the dominant culture."
Biology
"The body assimilated the nutrients from the food."
From Latin *assimilatus, past participle of *assimilare 'to make similar', from *ad- 'to' + similis 'like'.
The word has been used since the 16th century, initially in a biological context before expanding to social applications.
Memory tip
Imagine similar things becoming one.
Practice
Base: assimilate
asimilatedassimlatedassimileted
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written