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
For Hollywood in particular, the year’s events prompted the biggest reckoning yet with AI, which permeated the industry with the promise of efficiency and new artistic horizons but also threats to longstanding business practices.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2026
Those stats permeated throughout the first half, with the Tide rushing for only 29 yards on 11 carries.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The increase is a little more than the 25 percent forecast by analysts, and comes with assurances by labor and social security minister Vedat Isikhan that the increase would help more than a third of the working population, which is at minimum wage, and will permeate across sectors.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 31 Dec. 2025
Hotness anchors itself in the ground and permeates out from the middle of the chest.
—Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for permeate
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2026
Those stats permeated throughout the first half, with the Tide rushing for only 29 yards on 11 carries.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The increase is a little more than the 25 percent forecast by analysts, and comes with assurances by labor and social security minister Vedat Isikhan that the increase would help more than a third of the working population, which is at minimum wage, and will permeate across sectors.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 31 Dec. 2025
Hotness anchors itself in the ground and permeates out from the middle of the chest.
—Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 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 12 Jan. 2026.
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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