diffusive

[dih-fyoo-siv]

adjective

1. tending to diffuse; characterized by diffusion.

diffusive

/ dɪˈfjuːsɪv /

adjective

1. characterized by diffusion

Other Word Forms

• diffusively adverb
• diffusiveness noun
• interdiffusive adjective
• interdiffusiveness noun
• self-diffusive adjective
• self-diffusively adverb
• self-diffusiveness noun
• undiffusive adjective
• undiffusively adverb
• undiffusiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of diffusive¹

First recorded in 1605–15; diffuse + -ive

Example Sentences

No spoilers — but “Middlemarch” serves nicely again: “The effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive.”

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“This could be very useful for understanding other systems. For example, Earth’s and planetary magnetospheres, other magnetized plasma sources, including experiments at laboratory scales where plasma is highly diffusive and very hard to control.”

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We now know that electron flow can be diffusive, ballistic or viscous, and that there are experimental tools for differentiating between these regimes.

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This diffusive feature is actually what puts the “liberal” in liberal democracy and liberal capitalism.

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Instead, we get extended sensory descriptions of life on Lefkáda, memories that glow through a diffusive haze of metaphor.

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Related Words

• late 
• lengthy 
• protracted 
• slow