Assimilation - Definition

Assimilation, from Latin assimilatio meaning "to render similar", is used to describe various phenomena:

• The process of assimilating new ideas into a schema (cognitive structure). See schema (psychology)
• A linguistic process by which a sound becomes similar to an adjacent sound. See Assimilation (linguistics).
• The conversion of nutriment into the fluid or solid substance of the body, by the processes of digestion and absorption. See Assimilation (biology).
• The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture. See Assimilation (sociology).
• Process used by the fictional Borg race to integrate a being into the collective structure. See Assimilation (Star Trek).