assimilate, assimilative, assimilative capacity
verb [ The word assimilate is a transitive verb.]
To beneficially use, adjust to or become reconciled to a situation, custom or behavior. The capacity to utilize without being impaired or hindered.
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related definitions: more commonly used and less frequently used.
A} take in (information, ideas, or culture) ingest, and / or understand fully.
Good writing assimilates the ironic difficulties in people's lives.
• (to be assimilated) absorb and integrate (people, ideas, or behavior) into a wider group, society, or culture.
• absorb or integrate and use for one's own benefit:
The film business assimilated from advertising implicit pornographic aspects it from which it could profit.
• to be assimilated (of the body or any biological system) absorb and digest (food or nutrients):
The fructose sugars in the fruit she ate are readily assimilated by the body.
Fructose is reduced to glucose the molecule shown here.
B} cause (something) to resemble; liken:
Many philosophers had assimilated thought to perception.
• [ intransitive ] come to resemble, resembling.Western Roman Catholic churches assimilated the calliope or organ into sacred ritual services whereas Orthodox churches did not adopt that as their cultural norm from the heathen Romans.
• Phonetics: make a similar sound to another in the same or next word.
• adjust to, become acclimated, used to a condition, unhindered acceptance.
Tree farming is an assimilable use of this land as private property in Oregon.
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Etymology
ORIGIN late Middle English derived from Latin assimilat- ‘absorbed, incorporated,’ from the verb assimilare, "to make alike."A combined form of:
ad- ‘to’ + similis ‘like.’
DERIVATIVES
assimilable adjective, the ability to acclimate.
assimilation noun, the process by which one ethnic group is accepted into a differing ethnic group; Italian-American, for example.
assimilative adjective, the capacity or character of being made similar or used efficiently.
assimilator noun, one who is or has been made similar, something similar.
assimilatory adjective, the quality or likelihood of someone or something to be added or to made the same.
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Cows on a crowded commons. Initially What's one more cow? Additional livestock have opportunity costs. An ability for a pasture to assimilate more and more grazing animals is quite limited in proportion to the number and appetite of additional animals.
Figuratively the concept of assimilative capacity is related to the tragedy of the commons, conservation, adaptive management, and environmental protection.
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Related ideas to the concept of assimilative capacity
1) The relations among water, energy sources and adequate food supplies.
2) The necessity for renewable funding sources to replace the existing system of taxation, and "perverse incentives" that lead to market failures and a lack of revenue to secure wildlife and land-use protection.
3) The convergence of the demographic transition with a quadrupling of consumption, global, abrupt climate change (called climate chaos in UK), and a pending collapse of the assimilative capacity of arable lands to sustain demand.
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Go to other pages for examples of words.
David Orr | Rachel Carson | Paul & Ann Ehrlich | Hardin | Margulis | Wilson
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