penetration

American  

[pen-i-trey-shuhn] / ˌpɛn ɪˈtreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or power of penetrating. penetrating.

2. mental acuteness, discernment, or insight.

   a scholar of rare penetration.

   Synonyms:

   profundity, depth, discrimination, perception, understanding

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

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

5. a military attack that penetrates into enemy territory.

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

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

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penetration British  

/ ˌpɛnɪˈtreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of penetrating

2. the ability or power to penetrate

3. keen insight or perception

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

5. 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

6. another name for depth of field

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Other Word Forms

• nonpenetration noun
• prepenetration noun
• self-penetration noun
• transpenetration noun

Etymology

Origin of penetration

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

Example Sentences

Similarly, Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports reduced import penetration across heavily affected sectors and were associated with increases in domestic production in several industries.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

He followed this with more novels like So Many Times Pedro and The Exaggerated Life of Martín Romaña, which displayed his capacity for irony and penetration into the human soul that characterised his work.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The company attributed the gain to strength in membership acquisition, retention and higher-tier membership penetration across both new and existing clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Beijing’s “AI Plus” blueprint mandates a nationwide integration of AI to catalyze “new quality productive forces,” targeting a 70% penetration rate across priority sectors by 2027.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 24, 2026

And this is by no means all they do: their burrows aerate the soil, keep it well drained, and aid the penetration of plant roots.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• infiltration
• seepage