Meaning & use
subsume
Last updated
UK/səbˈsjuːm/
US/səbˈsuːm/
Meaning
verbtransitive
To include something as part of a larger group or idea so that it loses separate identity.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with under or into: subsume one idea under another.
Patterns
- subsume something under something
- subsume something into something
The smaller company was subsumed into the parent firm.
Several topics are subsumed under one heading.
Her personal needs were subsumed by the team's goals.
Word forms
| third person singular | subsumes |
|---|---|
| past tense | subsumed |
| past participle | subsumed |
| -ing form | subsuming |
Common combinations
- subsume under
- Cases are subsumed under a single law.
- subsumed into
- The unit was subsumed into the main department.
- subsume within
- The theory subsumes earlier ideas within it.
- be subsumed by
- Her voice was subsumed by the crowd.
Synonyms and how they differ
- absorb
- Plainer and works for liquids and people too.
- incorporate
- Stresses taking in as a part, not losing identity.
- encompass
- Means to include, with no idea of absorption.
Opposites
Word family
- subsumption noun
- the act of subsuming
Commonly confused: subsume or consume?
subsume vs consume
Consume means eat or use up, not include within.
Practice
Many small clubs were ___ into one national organization.
Choose one answer.
Subsumed means absorbed into a larger body. The others are different verbs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subsume”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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