Main Entry: as·sim·i·la·tion

Pronunciation: \ə-ˌsim-ə-ˈlā-shən\

Function: noun

1 a : an act, process, or instance of assimilating b : the state of being assimilated
2 : the incorporation or conversion of nutrients into protoplasm that in animals follows digestion and absorption and in higher plants involves both photosynthesis and root absorption
3 : the process of receiving new facts or of responding to new situations in conformity with what is already available to consciousness—compare apperception