permeate
Americanverb
-
to penetrate or pervade (a substance, area, etc)
a lovely smell permeated the room
-
to pass through or cause to pass through by osmosis or diffusion
to permeate a membrane
Usage
What does permeate mean? Permeate means to penetrate, pass through, and often become widespread throughout something. Similar words are pervade and saturate.Permeate can be used both in the context of the physical spread of something within a space and in more figurative ways. Dye permeates fabric. A smell can permeate a room. An idea can permeate someone’s mind.The adjective permeable means capable of being permeated, especially by liquids or gases, as in Permeable surfaces should be sealed to prevent leaks. The adjective permeating describes things that have permeated or have the ability to permeate, as in Social media has become a permeating aspect of our lives.Example: This material has a special coating that won’t allow anything to permeate its surface.
Other Word Forms
- interpermeate verb (used with object)
- nonpermeation noun
- nonpermeative adjective
- permeation noun
- permeative adjective
- permeator noun
- unpermeating adjective
- unpermeative adjective
Etymology
Origin of permeate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin permeātus, past participle of permeāre “to pass through”; per-, meatus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These fields permeate every cubic centimeter of space and time.
From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026
Western consumers "are increasingly aligning with circular-economy principles, prioritizing lifecycle extension and reducing electronic waste" as environmental concerns permeate public debate, the authors wrote.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
The author’s financial fixations permeate every page of the book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Seeing these ideas permeate the culture over the years has left me confused and frustrated.
From Salon • May 18, 2025
I remember this well, because that was the soap we were issued for laundry; later on, the smell of it would permeate these rooms.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
