Which definition best matches the word absorb?

• A. To soak up or suck up something
• B. To gradually take something in
• C. To incorporate something
• D. To completely forget something

Answer: (D)

Absorb means to take something into itself or into its system, either physically or mentally. In a physical sense, a sponge absorbs water—it soaks it up. When we talk about learning, to absorb information means to take it in, understand it, and keep it. It can also mean to incorporate something into a larger whole, like a company absorbing a new department or a culture being absorbed into an organization. The common thread is intake and integration. Forgetting something isn’t an absorbing action; it’s the opposite, so that meaning doesn’t fit.