asimilare

Asimilare is an Italian verb that denotes the action of making something alike to something else, or the process of absorbing, incorporating, or internalizing. It is used in various domains: a physical sense as in absorbing nutrients, a cognitive sense as in understanding and incorporating information, and a social sense as in adapting to a culture or environment. The reflexive form asimilarsi is also common, especially when referring to adapting or integrating into a new context, for example asimilarsi a una nuova realtà.

The word derives from Latin assimilare and shares its semantic field with related terms in Romance languages, such as the English “assimilate” and the Spanish “asimilar.” In Italian, the concept is frequently expressed with phrases like assimilare nutrienti, assimilare conoscenze, or assimilarsi a una cultura, depending on the context.

Usage and nuance can vary by domain. In nutrition and physiology, the focus is on how an organism takes in and incorporates nutrients into its tissues. In language learning and education, asimilare connotates understanding and internalization of information. In sociology and migration studies, asimilare can describe the process by which an individual or group adopts the cultural traits of another society; this sense may carry normative or political implications, and is sometimes contrasted with integrazione (integration) to emphasize different approaches to cultural coexistence.

See also: assimilation in biology, learning and cognition, cultural integration and acculturation.