assimilate

UK: /əˈsɪmɪleɪt/

US: /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/

US: (v. ə sim′ə lāt′; n. ə sim′ə lit, -lāt′)

Inflections of 'assimilate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

assimilates

v 3rd person singular

assimilating

v pres p

assimilated

v past

assimilated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

as•sim•i•late /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/   v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to take in and use as one's own; absorb;
   understand:
   [~ + object] He tried to assimilate new ideas.
2. Sociology
   • [no object] (of a person from a different background) to adjust (oneself) to the dominant cultural group or national culture:
     The immigrants assimilated rapidly.
   • [~ + object (+ into + object)] to bring (people from a different background) into a more dominant cultural group or national culture:
     Guest workers need to be assimilated into that country.
3. • [~ + object] to convert to substances suitable for use:
     to assimilate food.

as•sim•i•la•tion /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/  n. [uncountable] See -simil-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

as•sim•i•late  (v. ə sim′ə lāt′;n. ə sim′ə lit, -lāt′), v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to take in and incorporate as one's own;
   absorb:
   He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.
2. Sociology to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like;
   adapt or adjust:
   to assimilate the new immigrants.
3. Physiology to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues.
4. to cause to resemble (usually fol. by to or with).
5. to compare;
   liken (usually fol. by to or with).
6. Phonetics to modify by assimilation.

v.i. 

7. to be or become absorbed.
8. Sociology to conform or adjust to the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like:
   The new arrivals assimilated easily and quickly.
9. Physiology (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body;
   be absorbed into the system.
10. to bear a resemblance (usually fol. by to or with).
11. Phonetics to become modified by assimilation.

n. 

12. something that is assimilated.

• Latin assimilātus likened to, made like (past participle of assimilāre), equivalent. to as- as- + simil- (see similar) + -ātus -ate¹
• 1570–80

as•sim′i•la′tor, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

assimilate / əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt/ verb

1. (transitive) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly
2. (transitive) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues
3. (intransitive) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood
4. usually followed by into or with: to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted: the new immigrants assimilated easily
5. usually followed by to or with: to become or cause to become similar
6. (usually followed by to) to change (a consonant) or (of a consonant) to be changed into another under the influence of one adjacent to it

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin assimilāre to make one thing like another, from similis like, similar

asˈsimilable adjective

asˌsimiˈlation noun

asˈsimilative, asˈsimilatory adjective

asˈsimiˌlator noun

asˈsimilatively adverb