permeate

verb

per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt 

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

ˈpər-mē-ˌā-tiv 

adjective

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").

Synonyms of permeate

• penetrate
• suffuse
• pervade

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

Even as far away as Long Island or Upstate New York or in New Jersey, the smell of death often permeated the air. — Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Another, Undine kommt (Undine Comes), 2025, has its head in profile with a frontal eye, evoking the conventions of ancient Egyptian art and prehistoric female figurines, motifs that permeate Stötzer’s drawings, writings, and costumes. — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Given that the project is discussed in terms of atomic bombs, and given that grassroots opposition to data centers appears to have permeated every region of the country, such a project might seem daunting, if not impossible, to many developers. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

This isn’t the first time that Shakira has spoken out about the ongoing fear permeating the Latino community over the last couple of years. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for permeate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

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Kids 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

ˌpər-mē-ˈā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

permeate

verb

per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt 

permeated; permeating

intransitive verb

: to diffuse through or penetrate something

transitive verb

: to pass through the pores or interstices of