assimilates
|a-sim-i-lates|
🇺🇸
/əˈsɪməˌleɪts/
🇬🇧
/əˈsɪmɪleɪts/
(assimilate)
absorb and integrate
Etymology
'assimilate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'assimilare', where the prefix 'ad-' (seen in assimilare as assimil-) meant 'to, toward' and 'similis' meant 'like'.
'assimilate' changed from Latin 'assimilare' (Late Latin) and past-participial forms like 'assimilatus' and was borrowed into English in the 17th century as 'assimilate'.
Initially, it meant 'to make similar' (to cause likeness), but over time it broadened to include 'to absorb or integrate' (people, ideas, nutrients) and specialized uses in phonetics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'assimilate' (a person who assimilates); used rarely to refer to people who have been assimilated.
The assimilates adopted many of the local customs within a generation.
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Verb 1
to absorb and integrate people, ideas, or groups into a wider society or culture.
The immigrant community assimilates newcomers by offering language classes and social programs.
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Verb 2
to take in and make part of the body or mind; to digest or learn (e.g., nutrients, information).
The body assimilates vitamins more effectively when taken with food, and the student assimilates new concepts through practice.
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Verb 3
to make similar; to cause to resemble or conform to something.
She assimilates her writing style to that of the magazine's previous issues to maintain consistency.
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Last updated: 2025/11/03 13:34