Borrowed from Late Latin assimilātus, variant of Latin assimulātus, perfect passive participle of assimulō, from ad + simulō ("imitate, copy"), from similis ("like, similar"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem-.

• (British, America) IPA: /əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/

assimilate (assimilates, present participle assimilating; simple past and past participle assimilated)

1. (transitive) To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.

   Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.

   • a. 1728 (date written), Isaac Newton, “[The Third Book of Opticks.] ”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light. […], 4th edition, London: […] William Innys […], published 1730, →OCLC ↗, page 362 ↗:

     Hence also it may be, that the Parts of Animals and Vegetables preserve their several Forms, and assimilate their Nourishment; [...]

2. (transitive) To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.

   The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.

   • 1850, Charles Merivale, History of the Romans Under the Empire:

     His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons.

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

   The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.

4. (transitive, rare, used with "to" or "with") To liken, compare to something similar.
5. (transitive) To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
   • March 13, 1866, John Bright, The reform bill on the motion for leave to bring in the bill

     to assimilate our law in respect to the law of Scotland

   • 1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson;  […], →OCLC ↗:

     Fast falls a fleecy shower; the downy flakes / Assimilate all objects.

   • 1676, Matthew Hale, “Meditations upon the Lord’s Prayer”, in Contemplations Moral and Divine. The Second Part, London: […] William Shrewsbury […], and Tho[mas] Leigh and D[aniel] Midwinter, […], published 1699, →OCLC ↗, page 478 ↗:

     [I]t [the seed of life] doth, by degrees, aſſimilate the whole inward Man to this living Principle, and conforms the Life unto it.

6. (intransitive) To become similar.
7. (intransitive) To be incorporated or absorbed into something.

• (incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) process
• (absorb a group of people into a community) integrate

• French: assimiler, absorber
• Portuguese: assimilar, anabolizar
• Russian: усва́ивать

• French: assimiler, digérer (informal)
• Portuguese: assimilar, absorver

• French: assimiler
• German: assimilieren
• Italian: assimilare
• Portuguese: assimilar, integrar
• Russian: ассимили́ровать
• Spanish: asimilar

• French: assimiler

assimilate

1. Something that is or has been assimilated.