pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv How to pronounce pervasive (audio)
-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 In Guam, the invasive brown tree snake has become so pervasive, decimating the island’s native bird and lizard populations, that local authorities have resorted to desperate measures to try to eradicate the slithering fiends. Sarah Fecht, Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024 So what is likely to happen as generative AI becomes more pervasive? Nathaniel Lubin, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The white trailer blends into the winter landscape at SKB Environmental’s landfill, but inside, machinery is working to capture one of the most pervasive environmental pollutants of our time. Chloe Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 In 1990, Utah’s governor formed a task force that spent $250,000 in state funds to address pervasive ritual abuse. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 Microplastics have become a pervasive source of pollution across the Earth—these tiny fragments have settled in the deep sea and on Mount Everest, stuck inside volcanic rocks, filled the guts of seabirds and even fallen in fresh Antarctic snow. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Throughout her efforts, Cabrini faces near insurmountable odds, not the least of which is the pervasive discrimination against Italians and the patriarchal nature of the Catholic Church. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 This is the genetic paradox of invasion; small, genetically homogenous groups of organisms, taken far from home, can still become pervasive pests. Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 Loss Aversion: The Fear Of Letting Go Another pervasive bias is loss aversion, the tendency to avoid losses over acquiring equivalent gains. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pervasive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see pervade

First Known Use

circa 1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pervasive was circa 1750

Dictionary Entries Near pervasive

Cite this Entry

“Pervasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervasive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pervasive

adjective
per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv How to pronounce pervasive (audio)
-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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!