penetration

[ pen-i-trey-shuhn ]

/ ˌpɛn ɪˈtreɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for penetration on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or power of penetrating.

mental acuteness, discernment, or insight: a scholar of rare penetration.

the obtaining of a share of a market for some commodity or service.

the extension, usually peaceful, of the influence of one nation or culture into the affairs of another.

a military attack that penetrates into enemy territory.

Gunnery. the depth to which a projectile goes into the target.

the measure of relative depth of field of a telescope or microscope, especially a binocular microscope.

OTHER WORDS FOR penetration

2 understanding, perception, discrimination, depth, profundity.

See synonyms for penetration on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of penetration

First recorded in 1595–1605, penetration is from the Late Latin word penetrātiōn- (stem of penetrātiō). See penetrate, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM penetration

non·pen·e·tra·tion, nounpre·pen·e·tra·tion, nounself-pen·e·tra·tion, nountrans·pen·e·tra·tion, noun

Words nearby penetration

penetralia, penetrance, penetrant, penetrate, penetrating, penetration, penetration aid, penetrative, penetrometer, Peneus, Penfield

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use penetration in a sentence

I joined TechVets and it gave me my first insight into the tools and techniques of penetration testing.
Two key UK military nonprofits join forces to boost veteran training in cyber and tech|Mike Butcher|December 3, 2020|TechCrunch
Their spacing wouldn’t be ideal, but that amount of dribble penetration and vision might still be a useful option in certain situations.
The Atlanta Hawks Are Going All-In On Offense|Michael Pina|December 1, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The company is also hoping to continue its penetration of the industrial vehicle market — another area where Xin says the Lunewave is beginning to see real traction.
Approaching commercialization for its autonomous radar nav system, Lunewave raises $7 million|Jonathan Shieber|November 23, 2020|TechCrunch
Taobao grew rapidly as Internet penetration in China increased and the nation’s middle class grew.
Jack Ma is the poster child of Chinese tech. Why is Beijing reining him in—again?|Naomi Xu Elegant|November 7, 2020|Fortune

Beyond its home market, China aims to become a global automotive superpower and considers wider penetration of its own EVs as essential to that objective longer term.
The electric car market is buzzing with Europe and China taking the lead|Bernhard Warner|October 13, 2020|Fortune
But at midnight the deepest penetration on Omaha was barely more than a mile.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day|James Jones|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Offense III.b: Sexual Misconduct that includes one or more of the following: penetration, violent physical force, or injury.
Is Sex Assault a Crime in the Ivy League?|Olivia Nuzzi|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The scenes of penetration are obscured with masking or blurring.
Japan’s Desperate Housewives Opting for Adulterous Online Dating|Angela Erika Kubo, Jake Adelstein|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But does penetration on camera translate to a realistic portrait of sex and sex addiction?
A Sex Addiction Expert Diagnoses Lars Von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac’|Lizzie Crocker|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By 2026, a chart he included noted, we could have “100% autonomous penetration, utopian society.”
Tesla Looks Like a Bubble, Will It Pop?|Daniel Gross|March 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He united the virtues of private life to great intelligence, deep penetration, and an elegant taste.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
David's penetration crushed him, and, to avoid his glances, he looked downward.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence|Eugne Sue
She took him confidentially apart and explained to him that she had been in a condition of “penetration” for about three hours.
Devil-Worship in France|Arthur Edward Waite
The subject of the present consideration is mixture to the point of total penetration of the different bodies.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
That some solids do not penetrate other bodies, is due to their possession of qualities incompatible with that of penetration.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)

British Dictionary definitions for penetration

penetration

/ (ˌpɛnɪˈtreɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of penetrating

the ability or power to penetrate

keen insight or perception

military an offensive manoeuvre that breaks through an enemy's defensive position

Also called: market penetration the proportion of the total number of potential purchasers of a product or service who either are aware of its existence or actually buy it

another name for depth of field

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

penetration

OTHER WORDS FOR penetration

Origin of penetration

OTHER WORDS FROM penetration

Words nearby penetration

Words related to penetration

How to use penetration in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for penetration