assimilativeness
|a-ssim-i-lat-ive-ness|
🇺🇸
/əˌsɪməˈlætɪvnəs/
🇬🇧
/əˌsɪmɪˈlætɪvnəs/
(assimilate)
absorb and integrate
Etymology
'assimilativeness' ultimately derives from the Latin verb 'assimilare' (to make like), formed from the prefix 'ad-' (to, toward) assimilated to 'ass-' + 'similis' meaning 'like'; the noun-forming suffix '-ness' was later added in English.
'assimilare' passed into Late Latin and then into Middle French and Middle English as forms related to 'assimilate'; English formed the adjective 'assimilative' and then the abstract noun 'assimilativeness' by adding '-ness'.
Initially from Latin it meant 'to make like or similar'; over time in English it retained the core sense of 'making or becoming similar' and gained extended uses (e.g., social, linguistic) as 'the quality of being assimilative'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being assimilative; the tendency, capacity, or inclination to assimilate (to absorb, integrate, or make similar).
The assimilativeness of the organization allowed new members to adopt existing norms quickly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a theoretical or descriptive attribute in linguistics and social sciences referring to how readily elements (sounds, ideas, people) become like surrounding elements.
Researchers measured the assimilativeness of certain dialect features in urban speech.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/03 14:58