pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: existing in or spreading through every part of something

a pervasive odor

pervasively adverb

pervasiveness noun

Did you know?

Is pervasive always negative?

Pervasive is most often used of things we don't really want spreading throughout all parts of something:

a pervasive problem

a stench that is pervasive

pervasive corruption

But pervasive can occasionally also be found in neutral and even positive contexts:

a pervasive rhythm

a pervasive sense of calm

The meaning isn't neutral when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) uses it. Beginning in the early 1990s, the MPAA started giving the R rating to movies with "pervasive language." Most movies have language throughout, of course. The MPAA is using the phrase "pervasive language" to refer to the frequent use of a particular kind of language: profanity.

Examples of pervasive in a Sentence

A resuscitated orthodoxy, so pervasive as to be nearly invisible, rules the land. —Mark Slouka, Harper's, November 2004

The manic money-grab excitement of the Nineties had never been altogether free of our pervasive American guilt. —Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002

Race was never articulated as an issue at the trial, even though its presence was pervasive. —Howard Chua-Eoan, Time, 6 Mar. 2000

the pervasive nature of the problem

television's pervasive influence on our culture

Recent Examples on the Web

West London’s Hampstead, with its redbrick houses hidden from high street traffic, reminds me of how pervasive British urban planning is. —Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 12 Sep. 2024

For many Christian women, there’s a pervasive belief that our sexuality and our spirituality must be kept separate and, most importantly, secret. —Hena Bryan, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2024

The promise of endless potential matches has given way to a pervasive sense of dating app fatigue, leaving many users feeling trapped on a digital treadmill of superficial interactions and fleeting connections. —Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

How to Clean with Vinegar for a Sparkling Home Method 2: Remove Mold with Bleach For more pervasive or stubborn stains on shower caulking, bleach can serve as an extra powerful mold killer. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see pervade

First Known Use

circa 1750, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pervasive

• all-pervasive
• pervasive developmental disorder

Kids Definition

pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: spread throughout so thoroughly as to be seen or felt everywhere

the pervasive influence of television

the pervasive dampness of the mines

pervasively adverb

pervasiveness noun