invasive

American  

[in-vey-siv] / ɪnˈveɪ sɪv /

adjective

1. characterized by or involving invasion; offensive.

   invasive war.

2. invading, or tending to invade; intrusive.

   Every party we have is crashed by those invasive neighbors.

3. Medicine/Medical. requiring the entry of a needle, catheter, or other instrument into a part of the body, especially in a diagnostic procedure, as a biopsy.

   An x-ray is not invasive, but it may not tell us everything we need to know.

4. (of a plant, especially a nonnative one) posing a threat to a plant community by growing vigorously and spreading prolifically among the previously established vegetation.

   One of these invasive Asian grasses is making its way to the forest floors of southern Indiana.

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invasive British  

/ ɪnˈveɪsɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to an invasion, intrusion, etc

2. relating to or denoting cancer at the stage at which it has spread from its site of origin to other tissues

3. (of surgery) involving making a relatively large incision in the body to gain access to the target of the surgery, as opposed to making a small incision or gaining access endoscopically through a natural orifice

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invasive Scientific  

/ ĭn-vā′sĭv /

1. 1. Relating to a disease or condition that has a tendency to spread, especially a malignant cancer that spreads into healthy tissue.

   2. Relating to a medical procedure in which a part of the body is entered, as by puncture or incision.

2. Not native to and tending to spread widely in a habitat or environment. Invasive species often have few natural predators or other biological controls in their new environment. Although not always considered harmful to an environment, invasive species can become agricultural or ecological pests and can displace native species from their habitats. Invasive species are often introduced to an environment unintentionally, as the zebra mussel was to the Great Lakes, but are sometimes introduced for a purpose, as kudzu was to the southern US, where it was originally planted to control erosion.

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Other Word Forms

• uninvasive adjective

Etymology

Origin of invasive

First recorded in 1580–1600; French invasif, from Medieval Latin invāsīvus, derivative of Latin invāsus, past participle of invādere “to come into, go into, usurp, attack,” invasion, -ive

Example Sentences

That short working distance can make imaging difficult, impractical, or even invasive in certain applications.

From Science Daily

The reluctance to use HRT is the result of a controversial 2002 study that identified an elevated risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

From MarketWatch

Success could lead to a minimally invasive treatment that lasts longer and reduces the need for repeat procedures.

From Science Daily

A jury inquest which concluded on 8 October 2025 found the medical cause of death to be an "invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection following male circumcision".

From BBC

Some experimental approaches also require direct injections into the brain, which is invasive and can lead to complications.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• nosy