propagation
Americannoun
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the act of propagating.
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the fact of being propagated.
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multiplication by natural reproduction.
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transmission or dissemination.
- Synonyms:
- diffusion, dispersion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of propagation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English propagacyon, from Latin propāgātiōn-, stem of propāgātiō; equivalent to propagate + -ion
Explanation
If your dog is about to have puppies, then she's engaged in the propagation of dogs, the creation of new life to further the species. Propagation has two main uses, both having to do with multiplying something. If it's used in relation to creatures, that means that the creatures are multiplying — having kids. A synonym for this is procreation. You can also use propagation for anything that multiplies and spreads through larger and larger numbers or spaces — from the propagation of weeds in your garden to the propagation of a new idea. In physics, propagation is wave movement.
Vocabulary lists containing propagation
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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A Brief History of 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.
The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the government's morality police, said in 2024 that this rule should be gradually applied nationwide.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, announced the move on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
From Washington Times • Jul. 4, 2023
Bernanke asserted that this was at most only part of the story; his paper was, in fact, titled “Non-Monetary Effects of the Financial Crisis in the Propagation of the Great Depression.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2022
Spokespeople for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and the Ministry of Culture and Information did not immediately respond to request for comment.
From Reuters • Mar. 27, 2022
The book had been published at Detroit by the Society for the Propagation of Fordian Knowledge.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
