VocabauraVOCABAURA

assimilate

verb · adjective · noun

Simple meaning

To incorporate or absorb into the mind.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

uhsimuhlayt

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

əˈsɪməleɪt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.

  2. transitive

    To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.

  3. transitive

    To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.

  4. intransitive

    To be incorporated or absorbed into something.

  5. Become similar to one's environment

    “Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly.”

  6. Make similar

    “This country assimilates immigrants very quickly.”

adjective

  1. Similar, like, the same as.

noun

  1. Something that is or has been assimilated.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.

Used this way, assimilate is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use assimilate

  • “Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly.”verb
  • “This country assimilates immigrants very quickly.”verb
  • “The nasal assimilates to the following consonant.”verb

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “assimilate”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

easily assimilatefully assimilatereadily assimilate

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind

absorb

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “assimilate” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.