as·sim·i·la·tion

[uh-sim-uh-ley-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act or process of assimilating; state or condition of being assimilated.
2.
Physiology. the conversion of absorbed food into the substance of the body.
3.
Botany. the total process of plant nutrition, including photosynthesis and the absorption of raw materials.
4.
Sociology. the merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups, not involving biological amalgamation.
5.
Phonetics. the act or process by which a sound becomes identical with or similar to a neighboring sound in one or more defining characteristics, as place of articulation, voice or voicelessness, or manner of articulation, as in [gram-pah] for grandpa. Compare dissimilation ( def 2 ).

Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin assimilātiōn- (stem of assimilātiō). See assimilate, -ion

an·ti·as·sim·i·la·tion, noun, adjective
non·as·sim·i·la·tion, noun
re·as·sim·i·la·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Assimilation is always a great word to know.
So is action. Does it mean:
a change in organs, tissues, or cells leading to performance of a function like muscular contraction
the ability of an organism or part of an organism to react to stimuli; degree of susceptibility to stimulation
Collins
World English Dictionary
assimilate (əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb (usually foll by into or with) (usually foll by to or with)
1.  (tr) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly
2.  (tr) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues
3.  (intr) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood
4.  to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted: the new immigrants assimilated easily
5.  to become or cause to become similar
6.  (usually foll by to) phonetics to change (a consonant) or (of a consonant) to be changed into another under the influence of one adjacent to it: (n) often assimilates to before (k), as in ``include''
 
[C15: from Latin assimilāre to make one thing like another, from similis like, similar]
 
as'similable
 
adj
 
as'similably
 
adv
 
assimi'lation
 
n
 
as'similative
 
adj
 
as'similatory
 
adj
 
as'similator
 
n
 
as'similatively
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

assimilation
c.1600, "act of assimilating," from L. assimilationem "likeness, similarity," noun of action from assimilatus, pp. of assimilare (see assimilate). Psychological sense is from 1855.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

assimilation as·sim·i·la·tion (ə-sĭm'ə-lā'shən)
n.

  1. The incorporation of digested substances from food into the tissues of an organism.

  2. The amalgamation and modification of newly perceived information and experiences into the existing cognitive structure.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
assimilation   (ə-sĭm'ə-lā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
The conversion of nutrients into living tissue; constructive metabolism.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

assimilation definition


The process by which a person or persons acquire the social and psychological characteristics of a group: “Waves of immigrants have been assimilated into the American culture.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
He was a leader in the movement for cultural assimilation.
His influence and works aided the assimilation.
For him, and for a generation of immigrants like him, an automobile was a
  symbol of assimilation and success.
The immigrants' story was told not through their own cultures but through their
  assimilation into the mainstream.
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