pervasive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pervasive
First recorded in 1730–40; equivalent to Latin pervās(us), past participle of pervādere “to pass through” + -ive ( def. ); see pervade ( def. )
Explanation
When something is pervasive, it's everywhere. Common things are pervasive — like greed and cheap perfume. Ever notice how certain trends seem to spread all over the place? When something — like a hairstyle — is super-common, it's pervasive. Pervasive things can't be escaped. Playing video games is pervasive among kids. Talking about the weather is pervasive among adults. Ideas, diseases, habits, and all sorts of things can be pervasive. If you're sick of seeing something because you're seeing it again and again, it must be pervasive.
Vocabulary lists containing pervasive
List 3
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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.
Pervasive artificial-intelligence co-workers will be a reality by year end, according to OpenAI.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
Pervasive surveillance, electronic tracking and biometric profiling—together known as “digital dust”—have gutted traditional undercover operations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Pervasive in the scroll is the artist's "solitude, a sense of isolation subtly expressed and presented...as a state of his life, without self-pity or bitterness," notes Siva Kumar, a leading art historian.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2023
Pervasive corruption in planning processes and poor building standards are a toxic mix, industry officials say.
From Reuters • Nov. 23, 2022
Pervasive economic conditions are shown crystallized in political pretensions; economic transitions are registered in alterations of front.
From The Rise of Cotton Mills in the South by Mitchell, Broadus
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.
