permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt 
permeated; permeating
: to diffuse through or penetrate something
1
: to spread or diffuse through
a room permeated with tobacco smoke
2
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
Did you know?
Permeate 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 hasn't exactly permeated English. Aside from permeate itself, its other English descendants include the relatively common permeable as well as the medical meatus ("a natural body passage") and the downright 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 squash must be cubed to allow the heat to permeate all of the food.
—
Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Chuck and Jim loved the sounds of spaghetti westerns, an influence instantly recognizable in the war-cry screaming sound that permeates his score.
—Bear McCreary, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Systems thinking, which involves looking at a problem not in isolation but as part of a larger, more complex ecosystem, has also permeated both the accelerator program and the broader remit of H&M Foundation itself.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2025
Initially, physicists envisioned inflation as a cold process that involved energy fields that permeated all of space.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for permeate
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Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Chuck and Jim loved the sounds of spaghetti westerns, an influence instantly recognizable in the war-cry screaming sound that permeates his score.
—Bear McCreary, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Systems thinking, which involves looking at a problem not in isolation but as part of a larger, more complex ecosystem, has also permeated both the accelerator program and the broader remit of H&M Foundation itself.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2025
Initially, physicists envisioned inflation as a cold process that involved energy fields that permeated all of space.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for permeate
Cite this Entry
“Permeate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permeate. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt
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
noun
ˌpər-mē-ˈā-shən
Medical Definition
permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt
permeated; permeating
: to diffuse through or penetrate something
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
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