assimilate
gb/əsˈɪməlˌeɪt/ us/əsˈɪməlˌeɪt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
take in and understand information
To learn something and understand it well.
Usage pattern:
assimilate [information/ideas/knowledge]
Common mistake:
Learners often use it as a simple synonym of learn; it usually implies understanding and making the information part of your thinking.
Synonyms
absorb (More general; can suggest taking something in without effort.)
|
take in (More informal and often less complete than assimilate.)
|
digest (Emphasizes thinking something through carefully.)
Antonyms
misunderstand (The information is taken in incorrectly.)
|
miss (The information is not noticed or not learned.)
Collocations
assimilate information
|assimilate facts
|assimilate ideas
|assimilate knowledge
|assimilate what you read
|assimilate new material
|assimilate instructions
|assimilate a concept
|assimilate a lesson
|assimilate the theory
Themes
education
|thinking
|communication
Examples
- It took me a while to assimilate all the information from the training session.
- She reads quickly, but she needs time to assimilate new ideas.
- Try to pause and reflect so you can assimilate what you’ve just learned.
Learner examples
- I need time to assimilate this information.
- He assimilated the rules very fast.
Verb
technical
C1
action
2
digest and absorb nutrients
To use nutrients from food in the body.
Usage pattern:
assimilate [food/nutrients]
Common mistake:
This meaning is about the body; it is less common in everyday conversation than the ‘understand information’ meaning.
Synonyms
absorb (More general physical intake; does not necessarily imply digestion.)
|
digest (Focuses on breaking food down; assimilate focuses on taking it into the body.)
Antonyms
excrete (To pass material out of the body rather than take it in.)
|
reject (To fail to accept or use something taken into the body (e.g., in medicine).)
Collocations
assimilate nutrients
|assimilate food
|assimilate vitamins
|assimilate minerals
|assimilate glucose
|assimilate protein
|easily assimilated
|poorly assimilated
Themes
health
|biology
Examples
- Some people cannot assimilate lactose properly.
- The supplement is designed to be easily assimilated by the body.
- Illness can reduce the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients.
Learner examples
- My body cannot assimilate this food well.
Verb
C1
action
3
become part of a culture
To become similar to the people around you and fit in.
Usage pattern:
[someone] assimilates (into [society/culture/group])
Common mistake:
Often used with into; assimilate can be sensitive in topics of identity because it may imply losing one’s original culture.
Synonyms
integrate (Often more positive; does not necessarily imply losing identity.)
|
adapt (More general adjustment without implying becoming the same.)
|
acculturate (More academic term for adopting another culture.)
Antonyms
remain separate (To keep distinct from the larger group.)
|
segregate (To be separated (often by policy or social forces) rather than mix.)
Collocations
assimilate into society
|assimilate into the culture
|assimilate into the community
|assimilate quickly
|assimilate fully
|assimilate well
|assimilate over time
|pressure to assimilate
Themes
society
|culture
|migration
Examples
- Many newcomers assimilate quickly once they find work and friends.
- He never fully assimilated into the local culture.
- The school helps international students assimilate by pairing them with mentors.
Learner examples
- She assimilated into the new community.
Verb
formal
C1
action
4
make a group fit in
To make people change so they fit in with a larger group.
Usage pattern:
assimilate [someone/a group] (into [society/culture])
Common mistake:
Because it can imply coercion, it may sound negative in discussions of minorities, immigrants, and indigenous peoples.
Synonyms
integrate (Usually less forceful and more neutral.)
|
absorb (Suggests the larger society takes the group in, sometimes without their choice.)
Antonyms
exclude (To keep people out rather than incorporate them.)
|
marginalize (To push a group to the edges of society rather than bring them in.)
Collocations
assimilate immigrants
|assimilate minorities
|forced to assimilate
|policy to assimilate
|attempt to assimilate
|pressure to assimilate
|assimilate a population
Themes
society
|politics
|history
Examples
- The government tried to assimilate indigenous children through boarding schools.
- Critics argued that the program aimed to assimilate immigrants rather than support multiculturalism.
- The company’s culture can assimilate new hires quickly.
Learner examples
- They tried to assimilate the new students into the school.
Verb
business
C1
action
5
absorb something into a whole
To combine something into a bigger system.
Usage pattern:
assimilate [something] (into [something])
Common mistake:
In business contexts, it often means ‘integrate after a change’ (e.g., after a merger), not simply ‘add’.
Synonyms
incorporate (More neutral; focuses on making something part of a whole.)
|
integrate (Emphasizes making parts work together smoothly.)
|
absorb (Often used when the larger entity stays dominant.)
Antonyms
separate (To keep parts apart instead of merging them.)
|
divest (To remove or sell off something rather than take it in.)
Collocations
assimilate an acquisition
|assimilate a merger
|assimilate new staff
|assimilate new technology
|assimilate a process
|assimilate changes
|assimilate a department
|quickly assimilate
Themes
business
|organizations
Examples
- It took months to assimilate the smaller company into the parent organization.
- The team struggled to assimilate the new software into existing workflows.
- After the reorganization, the department had to assimilate several new responsibilities.
Learner examples
- We need time to assimilate the new system.
Verb
technical
C2
event
6
sounds become more alike
In language, one sound changes to match a nearby sound.
Usage pattern:
[a sound] assimilates (to [another sound])
Common mistake:
This is a specialized linguistics meaning; it is not about ‘fitting into society’.
Synonyms
become similar (Plain-language paraphrase; less precise than the linguistic term.)
Antonyms
dissimilation (A sound becomes less similar to a nearby sound.)
Collocations
assimilate to a neighboring sound
|consonant assimilates
|nasal assimilates
|regressive assimilation
|progressive assimilation
|partially assimilate
|fully assimilate
Themes
language
|linguistics
Examples
- In rapid speech, the /n/ can assimilate to the following consonant.
- The professor explained how sounds assimilate when they occur next to each other.
- In this dialect, /t/ often assimilates to /k/ before a velar sound.
Grammar
Dictionary form
assimilate
IPA
GB/əsˈɪməlˌeɪt/
US/əsˈɪməlˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
as - sim - il - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (sim)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: assimilate
- 3rd Person Singular: assimilates
- Present Participle: assimilating
- Past: assimilated
Word family
Forms
assimilates
verb
assimilating
verb
assimilated
verb
Core family
assimilation
noun C1
Advanced or less common
assimilative
adjective
assimilationist
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.