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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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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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.
They also spoke out against "pervasive, opaque and harmful industrial subsidies, market-distortive practices of state-owned enterprises, and all forms of forced technology transfer".
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
The dust at this busy recycling plant is pervasive and the steady noise of hoppers and conveyor belts makes this a challenging environment to work in.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Palantir’s stock hasn’t been immune to the pervasive software selloff this year.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
"Infrasound is pervasive in everyday environments, appearing near ventilation systems, traffic, and industrial machinery," said Prof Rodney Schmaltz of MacEwan University, senior author of the article in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
From Science Daily • May 3, 2026
But people also turned inward to their private joys and tragedies to escape the pervasive fear and despondency.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
