pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: existing in or spreading through every part of something

a pervasive odor

social media's pervasive influence on our culture

This is one of the most persistent and pervasive problems in the music business.

—Shaun Harper

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

But sometimes the pervasive nature of social media can hold its own kind of inspiration. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Summary Women's health and FemTech companies face significant business constraints due to pervasive stigma, hindering their access to capital, advertising, and even basic banking services. — Rachel Braun Scherl, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Cargo thefts are a pervasive problem in isolated stretches of the Mojave Desert, where thieves board slow-moving freight trains to steal high-value merchandise, sometimes slashing an air brake hose to bring the railcars to an emergency stop. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Last summer, organizers began employing the concept for violence prevention and intervention, as community members and stakeholders continually seek new ways to combat pervasive gun violence. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see pervade

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pervasive

• all-pervasive
• pervasive developmental disorder

Rhymes for pervasive

• abrasive
• invasive
• persuasive
• noninvasive
• unpersuasive

Kids Definition

pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-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