Assimilate vs. Adapt — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 28, 2024
Assimilate involves absorbing and integrating into a wider society or culture, while adapt involves changing oneself to suit new conditions.
Difference Between Assimilate and Adapt
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Assimilation refers to the process where an individual or group incorporates the traits of another culture, becoming part of the social fabric. Whereas, adaptation is more about modifying one's behavior or structure to better fit into a new or changed environment.
In the context of sociology, to assimilate often means to blend in with the dominant cultural norms, losing distinctive features. On the other hand, to adapt can mean adjusting one's own cultural practices in subtle ways to maintain identity while still coping with external changes.
Assimilate is commonly used in biology to describe how organisms take in nutrients and transform them into usable energy, whereas adapt refers to how species evolve traits that increase their survival in specific habitats.
When discussing technology, assimilation might involve integrating new software seamlessly into existing systems, emphasizing uniformity. Adaptation in technology, however, focuses on altering existing systems to meet new demands or overcome limitations.
In a personal sense, to assimilate could mean adopting new beliefs and habits completely to fit into a different social circle, whereas to adapt would involve finding ways to maintain one's original identity while still engaging effectively with others.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To absorb and integrate fully into an existing structure or culture.
To adjust or modify to suit new conditions.
Usage in Sociology
Emphasizes losing one's cultural identity to blend in.
Implies modifying behaviors while maintaining some original traits.
Usage in Biology
Involves metabolic processes to convert food into energy.
Refers to evolutionary changes for better survival.
Usage in Technology
Seamless integration into existing systems.
Modification of systems to new requirements.
Personal Impact
Full adoption of new social norms and practices.
Maintaining personal identity while making necessary social adjustments.
Compare with Definitions
Assimilate
Conforming or adapting to a group.
New employees are expected to assimilate company policies.
Adapt
Modifying existing materials for new purposes.
Screenwriters adapt novels into movies.
Assimilate
Becoming part of a larger whole.
Immigrants often assimilate into a new culture.
Adapt
Making something suitable for a new use.
They had to adapt their marketing strategy to the new market.
Assimilate
Adopting new technologies.
Businesses must assimilate innovative software to stay competitive.
Adapt
Personal adjustments in behavior.
One must adapt their communication style in different cultures.
Assimilate
Absorbing information or ideas.
Students must assimilate complex information quickly.
Adapt
Developing new skills in response to changes.
Professionals adapt to industry trends to remain relevant.
Assimilate
Integrating nutrients into the body.
Plants assimilate sunlight during photosynthesis.
Adapt
Adjusting to new conditions.
Animals adapt to their environments to survive.
Assimilate
To consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion.
Adapt
To make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation
Adapted the novel into a movie.
Adapted the company policy to take internet use into account.
Assimilate
To transform (food) into living tissue by the process of anabolism; metabolize constructively.
Adapt
To cause to be able to survive and reproduce under certain conditions. Used in the passive
“Every species is adapted to a rather restricted selection of properties of the environment” (Ernst Mayr).
Assimilate
To incorporate and absorb into the mind
Assimilate knowledge.
Adapt
To change in order to meet the requirements of new circumstances or conditions
The music business had to adapt to digital technology.
Assimilate
To make similar; cause to resemble.
Adapt
To become able to survive and reproduce under certain conditions
Hawks have adapted to living in cities.
Assimilate
(Linguistics) To alter (a sound) by assimilation.
Adapt
(transitive) To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit
Assimilate
To absorb (immigrants or a culturally distinct group) into the prevailing culture.
Adapt
(transitive) To fit by alteration; to modify or remodel for a different purpose; to adjust
To adapt a story for the stage
To adapt an old machine to a new manufacture
Assimilate
To become assimilated.
Adapt
(transitive) To make by altering or fitting something else; to produce by change of form or character
To bring out a play adapted from the French
A word of an adapted form
Assimilate
(transitive) To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
Adapt
(intransitive) To make oneself comfortable to a new thing.
They could not adapt to the new climate and so perished.
Assimilate
(transitive) To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.
The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.
Adapt
Adapted; fit; suited; suitable.
Assimilate
(transitive) To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.
The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.
Adapt
Fitted; suited.
Assimilate
To liken, compare to something similar.
Adapt
To make suitable; to fit, or suit; to adjust; to alter so as to fit for a new use; - sometimes followed by to or for.
For nature, always in the right,To your decays adapts my sight.
Appeals adapted to his [man's] whole nature.
Streets ill adapted for the residence of wealthy persons.
Assimilate
(transitive) To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
Adapt
Make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose;
Adapt our native cuisine to the available food resources of the new country
Assimilate
(intransitive) To become similar.
Adapt
Adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions;
We must adjust to the bad economic situation
Assimilate
(intransitive) To be incorporated or absorbed into something.
Assimilate
Something that is or has been assimilated.
Assimilate
To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
To assimilate our law to the law of Scotland.
Fast falls a fleecy; the downy flakesAssimilate all objects.
Assimilate
To liken; to compa e.
Assimilate
To appropriate and transform or incorporate into the substance of the assimilating body; to absorb or appropriate, as nourishment; as, food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
Hence also animals and vegetables may assimilate their nourishment.
His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons.
Assimilate
To become similar or like something else.
Assimilate
To change and appropriate nourishment so as to make it a part of the substance of the assimilating body.
Aliment easily assimilated or turned into blood.
Assimilate
To be converted into the substance of the assimilating body; to become incorporated; as, some kinds of food assimilate more readily than others.
I am a foreign material, and cannot assimilate with the church of England.
Assimilate
Take up mentally;
He absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe
Assimilate
Become similar to one's environment;
Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly
Assimilate
Make similar;
This country assimilates immigrants very quickly
Assimilate
Take (gas, light or heat) into a solution
Assimilate
Become similar in sound;
The nasal assimialates to the following consonant
Common Curiosities
What is an example of technological adaptation?
Adapting legacy software systems to interface with modern applications is an example.
How does adaptation differ from acclimatization?
Adaptation involves long-term evolutionary changes, whereas acclimatization is a short-term response to environmental change.
How do animals adapt to their environment?
Animals develop physical or behavioral traits that enhance their survival in specific environmental conditions.
What does it mean to assimilate knowledge?
It refers to the process of taking in information and fully integrating it into one's understanding.
What does it mean to assimilate in a cultural context?
It means to absorb and adopt the cultural traits of another group, often losing distinctive traits of one's original culture.
How do plants adapt to low light conditions?
Plants may grow larger leaves or change their chlorophyll content to adapt to low light.
Can assimilation occur in a workplace?
Yes, assimilation occurs when employees fully adopt the corporate culture and norms of their workplace.
What role does assimilation play in digestion?
Assimilation in digestion involves converting digested food into energy and cellular components.
How can one adapt to cultural differences?
Learning local customs and languages helps in adapting to cultural differences without losing one's identity.
Is assimilation always voluntary?
Assimilation can be both voluntary and involuntary, depending on the context and pressures involved.
Why is it important for businesses to adapt?
Businesses must adapt to changes in the market and technology to stay competitive and relevant.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
