proliferate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation.
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to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively.
verb
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to grow or reproduce (new parts, cells, etc) rapidly
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to grow or increase or cause to grow or increase rapidly
Other Word Forms
- proliferative adjective
Etymology
Origin of proliferate
First recorded in 1870–75; prolifer(ous) + -ate 1
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.
Until the country pushes back on antisemitism, "we're going to see incidents like this continue to proliferate", she added.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
But others said the agreement, as reported, was unlikely to ease longstanding concerns about the company from fans, artists and smaller venues, and worries about the resale market where higher prices can proliferate.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
Warfare is changing as low-cost drones proliferate on the battlefield—meaning the U.S. must adapt to the new threat.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Wider, diverse sets of genres make films like these all the more appealing to audiences, and in turn, proliferate the public discussion and dissection of these movies as time goes on.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026
Now we are wondering whether nuclear weapons will proliferate around the world by the same often-violent process, from the eight countries that presently possess them.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
