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

His professional partner, Emma (Michelle Keegan), is a headstrong presence in the force and consistently confronts the everyday sexism that permeates the office. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Firstman’s character is a hard-charging party boy, and the film is awash in a permeating drug culture. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

The camaraderie between the two is infectious, permeating FuelFest. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026

For both job seekers and employers, AI has already permeated almost every step of the hiring process, from evaluating resumes to writing cover letters. — Sophie Caldwell juhohn Lee, CNBC, 16 Sep. 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