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Subsume: meaning, example and synonyms

Subsumev. To include or absorb something within a larger category, group, or system.

Flashcard for Subsume (verb): to include or absorb something within a larger category, group, or system. Example: In the revised taxonomy, the three small genera were subsumed under a single broader genus, since genetic evidence showed they shared a recent common ancestor. Synonyms: incorporate, absorb, encompass, include. Antonyms: exclude, separate, detach, isolate. Memory tip: SUB (under) + sumere (take): taken in under a bigger umbrella. Illustration: three small streams of different colors flowing down a green valley and merging into one wide river, a hiker in a fleece jacket watching from a bridge.

Example

In the revised taxonomy, the three small genera were subsumed under a single broader genus, since genetic evidence showed they shared a recent common ancestor.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
incorporate, absorb, encompass, include
Antonyms
exclude, separate, detach, isolate
Memory tip
SUB (under) + sumere (take): taken in under a bigger umbrella.

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Check yourself: Subsume in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

As the empire expanded, it ______ dozens of small kingdoms, absorbing their territories and laws into a single administrative system.

Question 2

Some linguists propose that the many local dialects be ______ under one broader category, since they differ far less from one another than early surveys suggested.

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