permeate
Americanverb
-
to penetrate or pervade (a substance, area, etc)
a lovely smell permeated the room
-
to pass through or cause to pass through by osmosis or diffusion
to permeate a membrane
Usage
What does permeate mean? Permeate means to penetrate, pass through, and often become widespread throughout something. Similar words are pervade and saturate.Permeate can be used both in the context of the physical spread of something within a space and in more figurative ways. Dye permeates fabric. A smell can permeate a room. An idea can permeate someone’s mind.The adjective permeable means capable of being permeated, especially by liquids or gases, as in Permeable surfaces should be sealed to prevent leaks. The adjective permeating describes things that have permeated or have the ability to permeate, as in Social media has become a permeating aspect of our lives.Example: This material has a special coating that won’t allow anything to permeate its surface.
Other Word Forms
- interpermeate verb (used with object)
- nonpermeation noun
- nonpermeative adjective
- permeation noun
- permeative adjective
- permeator noun
- unpermeating adjective
- unpermeative adjective
Etymology
Origin of permeate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin permeātus, past participle of permeāre “to pass through”; per-, meatus
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.
Instead of shelves of alcohol, apothecary drawers stocked with ingredients like goji berries and angelica root line the walls, permeating the room with their scent.
From Barron's
Licensing for movies and TV is also booming, and with Y2K nostalgia permeating today’s media, Spears may be selling at an opportune time.
From Los Angeles Times
Singh was born in 1987 in Jiagang, a small town in West Bengal state, into a household where music was not an aspiration but a daily practice, permeating every aspect of life.
From BBC
The author’s financial fixations permeate every page of the book.
“I think that’s the other component I failed to mention: My reach has been able to permeate the entire globe. Now I can bring that reach directly to the Sun Rose.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
