take in — adopt as one's own (idea, viewpoint, etc.)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralrare
to accept and adopt an idea, belief, or viewpoint as your own, often after considering or being exposed to it.
Say it like a native
Textbook Over time he internalised his mentor's values as his own.
Native Over time he took in his mentor's whole way of thinking.
'Take in' covers absorbing and adopting ideas; 'internalise' is academic.
Pattern: take in + noun (idea, argument, perspective, etc.)
In use
- After listening to the debate, she took in several of the opposing arguments and reconsidered her position.cognition
- Many students take in new perspectives during their university years, which can fundamentally alter their worldview.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ It took me a while to take in with the idea.
✓ It took me a while to take the idea in.
'Take in' takes the object directly — no 'with'.
Common collocations
take in + idea— the idea, his views, it all, the lesson
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense ('understand or absorb'), this sense emphasizes internalizing and adopting an idea as your own, not just comprehending it. It is more abstract and evaluative.
Related
- take in (understand or absorb) — 'take in' also has the more basic meaning 'understand or absorb'; this is the advanced sense.