immersion

noun im·mer·sion \ i-ˈmər-zhən , -shən \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of immersion

: the act of immersing or the state of being immersed: such as

a : baptism by complete submersion of the person in water

b : absorbing involvement

immersion in politics

c : instruction based on extensive exposure to surroundings or conditions that are native or pertinent to the object of study; especially : foreign language instruction in which only the language being taught is used

learned French through immersion

See immersion defined for English-language learners

Examples of immersion in a Sentence

We were surprised by his complete immersion in the culture of the island.
He learned French through immersion.
I'm taking an immersion course in German.

Recent Examples of immersion from the Web

The group had been a regular at the Educational Theatre Association's International Thespian Festival, a week-long immersion in theater arts exclusively for high achieving middle and high school students.

— shannon s. hall, The Courier-Journal, "Shows will go on at the Kentucky Center following fire, but when?," 13 June 2018
After removing the tentacles, the study recommends treating the area with hot packs or hot water immersion for 45 minutes to help the pain and slow the progress of the venom.

— n'dea yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, "Florida lifeguards treat more than 800 for jellyfish stings. Here's what to do if you get stung.," 12 June 2018
Rachel Scott, who quit her Wall Street job as an executive at Deutsche Bank to move here for her husband’s job, was pleased to find a private school here with a Spanish immersion program that was only $6,500 per year.

— christa case bryant, The Christian Science Monitor, "How young liberals' moves to Red America may temper political divides," 6 July 2018
California, Massachusetts and Arizona have, at some point in the last 20 years, implemented laws eliminating bilingual education programs and replacing them with English-only immersion programs.

— harmeet kaur, CNN, "FYI: English isn't the official language of the United States," 20 May 2018
Uncut hair can suggest an embodied immersion into nature, which is so often intertwined with concepts of spirituality.

— Allure, "Women From Three Faith Communities Share How Their Long Hair and Spirituality Are Connected," 17 May 2018
Program supporters say students in foreign language immersion programs often enjoy higher levels of academic achievement.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "St. Tammany school district sets March 1 deadline for French immersion applications," 22 Feb. 2018
The other goal of the trip, Cashman said, is cultural immersion.

— alison kuznitz, courant.com, "Headed For Mission Work In Haiti, Northwest Catholic High School Group Seeks Medical Supply Donations," 3 July 2018
The Best Overall There’s nothing insanely unique about Coffee Gator’s 47 fl oz glass immersion cold brew coffee pot.

— jeffrey van camp, WIRED, "The 6 Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers You Can Buy," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immersion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of immersion

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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immersion Synonyms

IMMERSION Defined for English Language Learners

immersion

noun

Definition of immersion for English Language Learners

: the act of putting someone or something completely in a liquid or the state of being completely in a liquid
: complete involvement in some activity or interest
: a method of learning a foreign language by being taught entirely in that language