propagate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.
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to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does.
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to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring.
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to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate.
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to cause to increase in number or amount.
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to create (an effect) at a distance, as by electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc., traveling through space or a physical medium; transmit.
to propagate sound.
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to spread (a disease) from one individual to another.
Dr. John Atlee believed believed that filthy living conditions probably propagated cholera.
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Computers. to cause (an update or other alteration) to take effect throughout a network of devices.
The active master database replicates updates to the standby master database, which propagates the updates to the subscribers.
verb (used without object)
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to multiply by any process of natural reproduction, as organisms; breed.
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to increase in extent, as a structural flaw.
The crack will propagate only to this joint.
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(of electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc.) to travel through space or a physical medium.
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Computers. to take effect throughout a network of devices.
verb
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biology to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed
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(tr) horticulture to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc
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(tr) to promulgate; disseminate
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physics to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a wave
to propagate sound
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(tr) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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propagationnoun
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propagatornoun
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nonpropagativeadjective
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propagationaladjective
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propagativeadjective
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propagatoryadjective
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self-propagatingadjective
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unpropagativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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propagatesimple
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propagatessimple
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have propagatedperfect
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has propagatedperfect
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am propagatingprogressive
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are propagatingprogressive
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is propagatingprogressive
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have been propagatingperfect progressive
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has been propagatingperfect progressive
Past
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propagatedsimple
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had propagatedperfect
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was propagatingprogressive
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were propagatingprogressive
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had been propagatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of propagate
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin propāgātus (past participle of propāgāre “to reproduce (a plant) by cuttings, spread for sprouting, propagate, enlarge),” equivalent to propāg(ēs) “something set out, scion, slip” ( pro- pro- 1 + pāg-, base of pangere “to fasten” + -ēs noun suffix) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To propagate is to be fruitful and multiply, by the usual routes of reproduction, or by spreading something around — like a rumor. Propagate comes from the Latin word propagare, which means "to reproduce plants, breed." Plants love to propagate, especially when someone with a green thumb starts off with a jade plant stem in water and ends up with a garden full of the succulents. Plants aren't the only things to propagate like bunnies: in some apocalyptic movies, a virus propagates quickly, killing almost everyone in the world. Sound and light can also spread, or propagate, through the air.
Vocabulary lists containing propagate
Romeo and Juliet
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Power Prefix: pro
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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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.
Propagate produced the critically acclaimed documentary “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” that premiered on CNN earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
Propagate has productions in the works for platforms and networks including Netflix, Amazon.com’s Prime Video and Fox.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
“Traditionally entertainment was the driver of the upfront,” Ben Silverman, co-CEO of production company Propagate, told CNBC.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025
Propagate Content, the production company that developed the horror podcast “Lore” into an Amazon series, has also scooped up the true crime podcasts “Sword and Scale” and “Up and Vanished” for development deals.
From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2018
Propagate plants of which more stock is required either by cuttings or by dividing the roots.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various
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.
