proliferate
verb (used with or without object)
to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation.
proliferated
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past participleof proliferate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof proliferate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
proliferateverb (used with or without object)to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation.
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.
Credit-default swaps proliferated in the lead-up to the 2008 global financial crisis, then shrank in its aftermath and have since staged a comeback.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
With few regulations, hundreds of new private and microschools have proliferated.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Messages of support with the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe have proliferated on TikTok, X and Instagram, with users claiming to be the alleged victim in a bid to make it harder to identify her.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
You don’t have to dig deep to see this narrative proliferated in our culture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Evolution occurred in scientific progress as it happened in nature: a positive trait was passed along, then proliferated; obsolete characteristics withered away, and the technology and the organization evolved into something new.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
