permeate

verb

per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating

intransitive verb

: to diffuse through or penetrate something

transitive verb

1
: to spread or diffuse through
a room permeated with tobacco smoke
2
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
permeative adjective

Did you know?

It's no surprise that permeate means "to pass through something"—it was borrowed into English in the 17th century from Latin permeatus, which comes from the prefix per- ("through") and the verb meare, meaning "to go" or "to pass." Meare itself comes from an ancient root that may have also led to Middle Welsh and Czech words meaning "to go" and "to pass," respectively. Other descendants of meare in English include permeative, permeable, meatus ("a natural body passage"), and the relatively rare irremeable ("offering no possibility of return").

Examples of permeate in a Sentence

The water permeated the sand. The smell of baking bread permeated the kitchen. A feeling of anxiety permeated the office as we rushed to meet the deadline. The rain permeated through the soil.
Recent Examples on the Web The movement that has organized around that notion has already permeated the party’s official structure and has helped reshape what was once a bastion of old-guard Republicanism. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The allegations were obviously made up by you and/or your client to achieve maximum tabloid clickbait value in the hopes of weaponizing these false allegations—along with other lies that permeate the complaint—as leverage to force an unjustified settlement. Meredith Woerner, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The idea that a handful of big tech companies have subjugated internet users into digital empires has permeated through Europe. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 In an exclusive clip from Laroi’s forthcoming documentary Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About a Kid Named Laroi, premiering via Prime Video on Feb. 29, the 20-year-old rapper and singer notes the ways in which Bieber’s optimism has permeated their interactions both in and out of the studio. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 As geopolitical tensions in Asia grow more fraught, Japan has boosted military spending to record highs, and fear has permeated even some of the country’s most remote islands. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Since undergoing this shift, which permeates beyond the field with a relaxed environment and autonomy being key pillars, England's results have been remarkable. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Microplastics permeate the food chain, showing up in 83 percent of our tap water and have even been discovered in human placentas. Evan Halper, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 An integral part of this process is assessing the effectiveness of the leadership team in co-creating and managing their internal team culture to create a positive dynamic that permeates the organization. Dr. Tracy Cocivera, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'permeate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin permeatus, past participle of permeare, from per- through + meare to go, pass; akin to Middle Welsh mynet to go, Czech míjet to pass

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of permeate was in 1656

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Dictionary Entries Near permeate

Cite this Entry

“Permeate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permeate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

permeate

verb
per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating
1
: to spread throughout
a room permeated with the scent of flowers
2
: to pass through something which has pores or small openings or is of loose texture : seep through
water permeates sand
permeation
ˌpər-mē-ˈā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

permeate

verb
per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating

intransitive verb

: to diffuse through or penetrate something

transitive verb

: to pass through the pores or interstices of

More from Merriam-Webster on permeate

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