assimilative

adjective

as·​sim·​i·​la·​tive ə-ˈsi-mə-ˌlā-tiv How to pronounce assimilative (audio)
-lə-tiv
: of, relating to, or causing assimilation

Examples of assimilative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Greek historian Polybius attributed the resiliency and strength of the Roman state in to its assimilative capacity, turning barbarians into citizens. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2010 But one of the distinctive aspects of the modern Anglo-Saxon model is its assertive, expansive, and assimilative power. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2012 The spirit of those early days of La Reconquista had been assimilative rather than destructive. Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022 If the early spirit of the Reconquest had been assimilative, by the 15th century attitudes began to harden. Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022 One of them is this: The assimilative powers of Britain are formidable. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Oct. 2022 Perhaps no film shows the pain and the poetry of the assimilative process quite like The Namesake. Mallika Rao, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2021 Ghazi, who is eighty-four and barely speaks Hebrew, said that his views reflected the assimilative nature of Maghar. Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021 This argument undergirds the religious assimilative efforts of the original colonists, the displacement and the ensuing death marches, and the Allotment Era legislation that sought to chisel away at tribal lands piece by piece. Nick Martin, The New Republic, 7 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilātīvus, from assimilātus, past participle of assimilāre, assimulāre "to make similar, digest, compare" + Latin -īvus -ive — more at assimilate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assimilative was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near assimilative

Cite this Entry

“Assimilative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assimilative. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

assimilative

adjective
as·​sim·​i·​la·​tive ə-ˈsim-ə-ˌlāt-iv, -lət- How to pronounce assimilative (audio)
: of, relating to, or causing assimilation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!