Meaning & use
assimilated
Last updated
“assimilated” is a form of “assimilate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Became fully part of a society or group, taking on its customs and way of life.
Grammar: No object; often followed by into: the family assimilated into village life.
Patterns
- assimilated into something
- assimilated to something
The family assimilated quickly into their new community.
Many immigrants assimilated within one generation.
He assimilated into the team after a few weeks.
verbtransitive
Took in and fully understood new information, ideas or experiences.
Grammar: Takes an object: she assimilated the facts.
Patterns
- assimilate something
She quickly assimilated the new material before the exam.
The students assimilated a lot of information in a short course.
He had not yet assimilated what the doctor told him.
verbtransitivebiology
Absorbed nutrients into the body after digestion, or took in a group or substance as part of a larger whole.
Grammar: Used in biology: the body assimilated the iron.
Patterns
- assimilate something into something
The plant assimilated nitrogen from the soil.
The body assimilated the nutrients slowly.
The small company was assimilated into the larger group.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having become fully absorbed into a group, culture or larger body.
Grammar: Used before a noun: an assimilated community.
Patterns
- fully assimilated
The assimilated population spoke the local language at home.
They were among the best-assimilated families in the town.
An assimilated word often loses its foreign pronunciation.
Word forms
| base form | assimilate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | assimilates |
| -ing form | assimilating |
Common combinations
- assimilated into a culture
- The newcomers assimilated into the local culture.
- fully assimilated
- After ten years they felt fully assimilated.
- quickly assimilated
- The company quickly assimilated the new staff.
- assimilated information
- She assimilated information from several sources.
- well assimilated
- The new words were well assimilated by the learners.
Synonyms and how they differ
- absorbed
- This is more general and can describe any taking in, while assimilated suggests becoming part of something.
- integrated
- This can mean joining without giving up one's own identity, whereas assimilated often suggests adopting the majority culture.
- adapted
- This focuses on changing to suit conditions, not necessarily on being absorbed.
- digested
- This is used for food or for ideas thought over slowly, and is less formal than assimilated.
Opposites
Word family
- assimilation noun
- the process of becoming absorbed
- assimilate verb
- to absorb or become absorbed
- assimilable adjective
- able to be absorbed
- unassimilated adjective
- not absorbed
Commonly confused: assimilated or integrated? assimilated or simulated?
assimilated vs integrated
Integrated can keep both cultures side by side; assimilated usually means the newcomer takes on the main culture.
assimilated vs simulated
Simulated means imitated or artificial, and has a different meaning.
Practice
After several years abroad, she had fully ___ into the local community.
Choose one answer.
Assimilated into is the natural pattern for becoming part of a community. 'Simulated' means imitated and the other options use the wrong preposition or word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “assimilated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.