Definition of "Assimilation" :

noun: in the theories of Jean Piaget: the application of a general schema to a particular instance

noun: the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure

noun: a linguistic process by which a sound becomes similar to an adjacent sound

noun: the process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion

noun: the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another

noun: the state of being assimilated; people of different backgrounds come to see themselves as part of a larger national family