Assimilation

Assimilation (from Latin assimilatio; "to render similar") may refer to:

• Assimilation (linguistics), a linguistic process by which a sound becomes similar to an adjacent sound
• Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs.
  • Assimilation (sociology), the blending or fusing of minority groups into the dominant society
  • Linguistic assimilation (language shift), the progressive process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language
  • Americanization (of Native Americans), cultural assimilation of Native Americans in the United States
  • Jewish assimilation
• Assimilation (biology) the conversion of nutrient into the fluid or solid substance of the body, by the processes of digestion and absorption
• Assimilation (meteorology), the process of objectively adapting the model state (of a numerical weather prediction model) to observations in a statistical optimal way taking into account model and observation errors.
• Assimilation (psychology), incorporation of new concepts into existing schemes
• Assimilation Effect, describes a frequently observed bias in social cognition.

See also

• Assimilating race in science fiction
  • Assimilation (Star Trek), process used by the fictional Star Trek Borg race to integrate a being into their collective structure
  • Biological assimilation is also used by the Zerg in the StarCraft series as a way of incorporating the genetics of other species into their own genepool.
  • In Superman, assimilation is the method of being stabbed or injected with kryptonite
• In psychoanalysis, a mutual penetration of conscious and unconscious contents
• In Piagetian developmental psychology, one of the twin processes whereby concepts are modified (along with accommodation)
• In computer science, the modification of anti-virus software to detect a new virus
• In typesetting, the symmetry property possessed in varying degrees by a typeface that creates mirror relationships and other similarities of form between letters