assimilated

Assimilated is the past participle of the verb assimilate. It describes the result of the process by which a person, group, idea, or organism becomes integrated into a different context or system. In everyday use, it often refers to social and cultural integration, but the term can apply across biological, linguistic, and informational domains.

In sociology and anthropology, cultural assimilation relates to the gradual adoption of a dominant society's language, customs, institutions, and norms by a minority group. An individual or community described as assimilated is typically perceived as sharing the mainstream culture to a significant extent. The path to assimilation can be voluntary or compelled, and it is influenced by economic opportunity, education, discrimination, and policy. Critics sometimes argue that emphasis on assimilation downplays ongoing diversity and power imbalances, while others view it as a route to social cohesion or equal civic participation.

In linguistics, assimilation is a phonological process in which sounds become more like neighboring sounds. An assimilated sound has undergone such a change. In biology and nutrition, assimilation denotes the incorporation of digested nutrients into tissues and bodily cells, as distinct from digestion and excretion.

The term is widely used in historical and policy contexts, including debates about immigration, nationalism, and multiculturalism. Some scholars advocate pluralism and question the assumption that full assimilation is necessary, while others emphasize common civic norms as a basis for social cooperation.