pervasive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pervasive
First recorded in 1730–40; equivalent to Latin pervās(us), past participle of pervādere “to pass through” + -ive ( def. ); see pervade ( def. )
Explanation
When something is pervasive, it's everywhere. Common things are pervasive — like greed and cheap perfume. Ever notice how certain trends seem to spread all over the place? When something — like a hairstyle — is super-common, it's pervasive. Pervasive things can't be escaped. Playing video games is pervasive among kids. Talking about the weather is pervasive among adults. Ideas, diseases, habits, and all sorts of things can be pervasive. If you're sick of seeing something because you're seeing it again and again, it must be pervasive.
Vocabulary lists containing pervasive
List 3
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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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the wealthy finance hub to resolve housing woes that are the result of decades of pervasive inequality, an acute housing shortage and eye-watering rents.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
People are just afraid or they don’t want the hassle, and it is pervasive.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
It is, of course, the pervasive smell of jet fuel.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
In an interview, Hsu said that pervasive, downbeat social-media feeds have probably contributed to darker survey results over the past five years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
The walls, the paneling, the pervasive heaviness of nearly new fixtures, the colossal firedogs, the walk-in fireplaces of bright new stone referred back through the centuries to a time of lonely castles in mute forests.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
