assimilation
- 01 C1 Advanced
the process where a person or group becomes part of a different society by adopting its customs and language.
the sociological process by which a minority group or individual gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.
Simple“The government created new programs to help with the assimilation of immigrants into the local community.”
In context“Sociologists debate whether full cultural assimilation is a necessary prerequisite for social stability or if pluralism offers a more sustainable model.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'into'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of fully understanding and absorbing new ideas or information.
the cognitive process of absorbing new information into an existing mental framework or schema.
Simple“The quick assimilation of new technology is essential for success in the modern workplace.”
In context“The curriculum is designed to allow for the gradual assimilation of complex mathematical concepts over several semesters.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the way your body turns food into energy or new tissue.
the metabolic conversion of nutrients from food into the fluid or solid substances of the body.
Simple“Poor assimilation of vitamins can lead to health problems even if you eat well.”
In context“The study examined how certain enzymes facilitate the assimilation of nitrogen in various plant species.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
when a sound in a word changes to sound more like a nearby sound.
a phonological process where a speech sound becomes similar or identical to a neighbouring sound.
Simple“In the word 'handbag', the 'n' often sounds like an 'm' because of assimilation.”
In context“Regressive assimilation occurs when a following sound influences the articulation of the preceding phoneme, as seen in many rapid-speech phenomena.”
Synonymssound change
“Roger was the British coordinator of a unique comparative international study of migrants in Britain, France and Germany, which examined processes of assimilation.”
Borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilatio. By surface analysis, assimilate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.