assimilation
n. uncountablen. the process of becoming part of a new group or culture. It happens when people learn the habits and language of the place where they now live.
n. the process by which a minority group or individual gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of a prevailing culture. Often implies the loss of original cultural traits in favour of the dominant society's norms.
The school helps new students with their cultural assimilation.
Successful assimilation often depends on whether the local community is welcoming to newcomers and their traditions.
Sociologists debate whether full assimilation is a necessary goal for immigrants or if a multicultural approach that preserves original identities is more beneficial for social cohesion.
Borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilatio. By surface analysis, assimilate + -ion.
Uncountable in its sociological and biological senses; can be countable when referring to specific historical instances.