Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

subsume


sub·sume

verb \səb-ˈsüm\
sub·sumedsub·sum·ing

Definition of SUBSUME

transitive verb
: to include or place within something larger or more comprehensive : encompass as a subordinate or component element <red, green, and yellow are subsumed under the term “color”>
sub·sum·able \-ˈsü-mə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of SUBSUME

  1. <games and team sports are subsumed under the classification of recreation>

Origin of SUBSUME

New Latin subsumere, from Latin sub- + sumere to take up — more at consume
First Known Use: 1825

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: subsummation
Previous Word in the Dictionary: subsultory
All Words Near: subsume

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up subsume? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).