subsume

verb

sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm 

subsumed; subsuming

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"

subsumable

səb-ˈsü-mə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• include
• contain
• involve
• encompass
• carry

Examples of subsume in a Sentence

games and team sports are subsumed under the classification of “recreation”

Recent Examples on the Web

Germain McMicking—Neon Advertisement Together is a squishy-gross body-horror comedy about the ways longtime couples sometimes meld sensibilities so completely that one partner or the other may feel subsumed by the whole. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Sep. 2025

What happened next was a snowball effect – as small stray details were subsumed into a big imagined coverup by the White House. —Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025

In the second, that body is subsumed into the world. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025

Unlike traditional studios, Mediawan doesn’t subsume its acquisitions. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin subsumere, from Latin sub- + sumere to take up — more at consume

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subsume

• assume
• backroom
• ballroom
• barroom
• bathroom
• bedroom
• boardroom
• bridegroom
• classroom
• cloakroom
• consume
• costume

Kids Definition

subsume

verb

sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm 

subsumed; subsuming

: to include or place within something larger or more general

red and green are subsumed under the term "color"