proliferate

[ pruh-lif-uh-reyt ]

/ prəˈlɪf əˌreɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: proliferate / proliferates / proliferating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object), pro·lif·er·at·ed, pro·lif·er·at·ing.

to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation.

to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of proliferate

First recorded in 1870–75; prolifer(ous) + -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM proliferate

pro·lif·er·a·tive, adjective

Words nearby proliferate

proletariat, proletarize, proletary, prolicide, pro-life, proliferate, proliferation, proliferous, prolific, proline, prolix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use proliferate in a sentence

The challenge is evaluating the implications of the ones that do proliferate.
How the Covid-19 variants are spreading|Katherine Ellen Foley|February 11, 2021|Quartz
As variants have proliferated in Europe, some countries that had kept their schools open through the worst of the pandemic are now closing them.
Chicago reaches deal with teachers to reopen school buildings|Moriah Balingit|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
Caused by the salmonella bacteria, the disease has proliferated across the Northwest from British Columbia down to Northern California.
Your dirty bird feeder could be spreading disease|Melissa Hart|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
That the Chagos Archipelago is so remote and well-protected—commercial fishing is banned there—may also help these underwater cultures evolve and proliferate, Bayley said.
Octopuses Find New Hunting Buddies - Issue 95: Escape|Brandon Keim|January 28, 2021|Nautilus

AP tests, which are longer and include free-response questions, have proliferated in recent years.
College Board is scrapping SAT’s optional essay and subject tests|Nick Anderson|January 19, 2021|Washington Post
Then build a business model and systems that allow that technology to proliferate.
Pioneers in Printing|The Daily Beast|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when whole careers are now staked on micro-sized melodies and formulaic rhythms, the lawsuits are bound to proliferate.
Did Led Zeppelin Steal ‘Stairway to Heaven’?|Ted Gioia|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
People with great photography skills can all of a sudden proliferate their images.
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Announced; Beyoncé Wears Nothing But Glitter|The Fashion Beast Team|July 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, though, explanations for his absence—ranging from plausible to wild and wacky—continue to proliferate.
China Roiled by Rumors and Questions About Absent Heir Apparent Xi Jinping|Melinda Liu|September 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Yet in a world where content has and continues to proliferate, what edge does Yahoo have?
Yahoo Aims to Achieve Turnaround Dream With Hire of Marissa Mayer|Zachary Karabell|July 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The cells of this hypertrophied portion show a great tendency to proliferate and produce new nerve structure.
Diseases of the Horse's Foot|Harry Caulton Reeks
What is the nature of the "life" in the parasitic sarcomatous tissue which has been seen to proliferate for a short time in vitro?
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley
Free zones, off shore havens, off shore banking and transhipment ports proliferate, from Macedonia to Archangelsk.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for proliferate

proliferate

/ (prəˈlɪfəˌreɪt) /

verb

to grow or reproduce (new parts, cells, etc) rapidly

to grow or increase or cause to grow or increase rapidly

Derived forms of proliferate

proliferative, adjective

Word Origin for proliferate

C19: from Medieval Latin prōlifer having offspring, from Latin prōlēs offspring + ferre to bear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

proliferate

Origin of proliferate

OTHER WORDS FROM proliferate

Words nearby proliferate

Words related to proliferate

How to use proliferate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proliferate

Derived forms of proliferate

Word Origin for proliferate