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.
And local networks that offer instruction and training for how to legally observe ICE raids are proliferating by the day.
From Los Angeles Times
Images of cats painting, celebrities in compromising situations, and cartoon characters endorsing products are among the AI-generated detritus proliferating on social networks and video-sharing platforms.
From Barron's
Also new to me were the luxury spas that have proliferated in recent years, a modern iteration of traditional Thai massage, which I’d trained in at a local hospital.
And—circling back to “Slater the Traitor”—industrial espionage is also proliferating, as individuals and nations look to gain through subterfuge.
From Barron's
Startups have proliferated, and no fewer than 1,300 foreign companies operate Chinese research laboratories.
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.
