subsume

verb

sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm How to pronounce subsume (audio)
subsumed; subsuming
Synonyms of subsumenext

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 adjective

Examples of subsume in a Sentence

games and team sports are subsumed under the classification of “recreation”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The watery consommé subsumed what few masa dumplings swam their lonesome swirls in the bowl, with cobs of corn left like derelict buoys in the sloppy orange miasma. Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026 On stage, Josh and Melissa, our wanderers from the land of reality, are subsumed into an actual musical rather than a vaguely Truman Show-style refraction. Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026 Generous with his stash and with access to his phone — which Taylor uses to communicate with Adam on social media — Dee ropes the addict into his trade, though their tentative friendship is soon subsumed into the prison’s overriding culture of violence. Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 As voices arrive—some direct, some sampled—the track is subsumed by texture, demanding little in the way of lyrical comprehension. Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subsume

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of subsume was in 1818

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subsume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsume. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

subsume

verb
sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm How to pronounce subsume (audio)
subsumed; subsuming
: to include or place within something larger or more general
red and green are subsumed under the term "color"
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