propagate

American  

[prop-uh-geyt] / ˈprɒp əˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

propagated, propagating

1. to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.

2. to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does.

3. to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring.

4. to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate.

5. to cause to increase in number or amount.

6. to create (an effect) at a distance, as by electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc., traveling through space or a physical medium; transmit.

   to propagate sound.

7. to spread (a disease) from one individual to another.

   Dr. John Atlee believed believed that filthy living conditions probably propagated cholera.

8. Computers. to cause (an update or other alteration) to take effect throughout a network of devices.

   The active master database replicates updates to the standby master database, which propagates the updates to the subscribers.

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verb (used without object)

propagated, propagating

1. to multiply by any process of natural reproduction, as organisms; breed.

2. to increase in extent, as a structural flaw.

   The crack will propagate only to this joint.

3. (of electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc.) to travel through space or a physical medium.

4. Computers. to take effect throughout a network of devices.

propagate British  

/ ˈprɒpəˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. biology to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed

2. (tr) horticulture to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc

3. (tr) to promulgate; disseminate

4. physics to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a wave

   to propagate sound

5. (tr) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next

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Other Word Forms

• nonpropagative adjective
• propagation noun
• propagational adjective
• propagative adjective
• propagator noun
• propagatory adjective
• self-propagating adjective
• unpropagative adjective

Etymology

Origin of propagate

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin propāgātus (past participle of propāgāre “to reproduce (a plant) by cuttings, spread for sprouting, propagate, enlarge),” equivalent to propāg(ēs) “something set out, scion, slip” ( pro- pro- ¹ + pāg-, base of pangere “to fasten” + -ēs noun suffix) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To propagate is to be fruitful and multiply, by the usual routes of reproduction, or by spreading something around — like a rumor. Propagate comes from the Latin word propagare, which means "to reproduce plants, breed." Plants love to propagate, especially when someone with a green thumb starts off with a jade plant stem in water and ends up with a garden full of the succulents. Plants aren't the only things to propagate like bunnies: in some apocalyptic movies, a virus propagates quickly, killing almost everyone in the world. Sound and light can also spread, or propagate, through the air.

Example Sentences

Interconnectedness can propagate and amplify losses through the financial system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

"One such device is a 'microwave circulator' that only allows microwave radio signals to propagate in one direction," Hoffmann explained.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

A former member of the jihadist group told reporters in 2019 that they were originally funded by a military intelligence unit to propagate a fundamentalist ideology in Sri Lanka's multi-ethnic eastern province.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Since palms are one type of plant that really can’t propagate in freezing temperatures, Reichgelt wanted to know just how far north they might spread.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025

What we do with our world in this time will propagate down through the centuries and powerfully determine the destiny of our descendants and their fate, if any, among the stars.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• circulate
• disseminate
• publicize
• transmit