Assimilation

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The noun assimilation and its associated verb 'to assimilate' have the general ideas of 'making one thing like another' and (more commonly in Modern English) incorporating one thing into another. In particular fields, these words come to have rather more specialised meanings.

  • In biology, an organism can assimilate a foodstuff into its own body, as plants can assimilate carbon from the air, and release oxygen from the gas carbon dioxide (CO2) which is exhaled by animals. The assimilated carbon is used for the proteins which construct the plant's bodily tissues.
  • In cultural studies, such as the history of various arts, literatures, music and so on, assimilation of one artist into a particular group, trend or school means that the artist concerned absorbs the style, technique, habits and tastes of the influence, or becomes absorbed into the school.
  • In politics and demography, etc, a migrant population may be - or seek to be - assimilated into the host community. Such an assimilated group has absorbed the behaviours of the host, and been accepted by the host community as 'one of us'.
  • For a particular feature of changes in the sounds of language, see assimilation (phonetic).
    • In general, the etymological meaning 'to make like', 'to cause to resemble' can be used in most fields of study.