subsume

verb

sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm How to pronounce subsume (audio)
subsumed; subsuming

transitive verb

: to include or place within something larger or more comprehensive : encompass as a subordinate or component element
red, green, and yellow are subsumed under the term "color"
subsumable adjective

Examples of subsume in a Sentence

games and team sports are subsumed under the classification of “recreation”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For subsumed within Lincoln’s willingness to accept the Chicago nomination was knowledge — perhaps without a doubt — of what actions by states were to come and what actions were morally right for the government to pursue. Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025 When Lost Highway folded the following year, it was subsumed by another UMG subsidiary, Mercury Nashville, which released Musgraves’ first three albums. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025 According to the researchers, both of these oddities could be explained, however, if the Milky Way once had a second, intermediate-sized, black hole at its heart—one that has long since been subsumed into Sgr A*. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 However, the assumption that a woman’s identity should be subsumed into that of either her father or male partner has always struck me as weird. Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subsume

Word History

Etymology

New Latin subsumere, from Latin sub- + sumere to take up — more at consume

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subsume was in 1818

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subsume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsume. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

subsume

verb
sub·​sume səb-ˈsüm How to pronounce subsume (audio)
subsumed; subsuming
: to include or place within something larger or more general
red and green are subsumed under the term "color"
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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