Disassimilate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To reverse the blending or absorption of a cultural or linguistic minority back into a dominant group
2. To cause a previously assimilated group to re-establish its distinct cultural or linguistic identity
3. To undergo or promote a reversal of cultural integration, returning to separate identity and practices

Etymology: "Disassimilate" is simply "dis-" attached to "assimilate," so its history is that of its base word. "Dis-" is a Latin prefix meaning "apart" or "reversing an action," and it reverses the sense of "assimilate," which means to make one thing like another or absorb it into a larger whole. To disassimilate is therefore to undo that absorption, separating something that had been blended in or made to resemble its surroundings. The word belongs to the family of forms built on "assimilate," which itself came into English from Latin "assimilare," meaning "to make similar to." The reversing prefix gives the verb its opposite sense, so the meaning is clear from its parts. Its use is largely confined to specialist and technical writing, where it describes a process of separating or unmaking a prior blending.

Synonyms: differentiate, distinguish, separate, dissimilate

Antonyms: assimilate, integrate, combine