omnipresent
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
Omnipresent, ubiquitous refer to the quality of being everywhere. Omnipresent emphasizes in a lofty or dignified way the power, usually divine, of being present everywhere at the same time, as though all-enveloping: Divine law is omnipresent. Ubiquitous is applied to that which seems to appear in many and all sorts of places, or in an undignified or humorous way is “all over the place,” often when unwanted: A bore seems to be ubiquitous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of omnipresent
First recorded in 1600–10; from Medieval Latin omnipraesent- (stem of omnipraesēns ), equivalent to Latin omni- omni- + praesent- present 1
Explanation
Omnipresent describes something that's everywhere at once, like a deity. If your parents are constantly monitoring what you do, you may feel like they're omnipresent — and look forward to going to college somewhere far, far away. You might recognize the prefix omni-, meaning "all," from words like omnipotent ("all-powerful") or omniscient ("all-knowing"). Add it to present, and voilà, you have a word for something that's present all the time. You can't hide from an omnipresent being, and you can't escape an omnipresent smell. Language purists might prefer that a bad smell be described as ubiquitous ("turning up everywhere") and save the word omnipresent for the divine.
Vocabulary lists containing omnipresent
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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This Week In Culture: August 24–August 30, 2019
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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.
Today, likes are omnipresent on social media platforms.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Together, they form a rich yet incomplete portrait of an existence cut short, which McElwee hopes to broaden by weaving in meaning from before and after Adrian’s life, all captured by McElwee’s omnipresent camera.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Unlike some Korean spas, which feature seemingly omnipresent TV screens playing Korean dramas or game shows, Spa Hyu has just three small TVs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
It was also likely a means to galvanize himself against how that experience alerted him to the omnipresent nearness of death.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
Now our major concern is no longer with the disease organisms that once were omnipresent; sanitation, better living conditions, and new drugs have given us a high degree of control over infectious disease.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
