n.1. a. The act or process of assimilating.
b. The state of being assimilated.
2. Physiology The conversion of nutriments into living tissue; constructive metabolism.
3. Linguistics The process by which a sound is modified so that it becomes similar or identical to an adjacent or nearby sound. For example, the prefix in- becomes im- in impossible by assimilation to the labial p of possible.
4. The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.