proliferate

verb

pro·​lif·​er·​ate prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrāt How to pronounce proliferate (audio)
proliferated; proliferating

intransitive verb

1
: to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring
2
: to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply

transitive verb

1
: to cause to grow by proliferating
2
: to cause to increase in number or extent as if by proliferating
proliferation noun

Did you know?

Proliferate is a back-formation of proliferation. That means that proliferation came first (we borrowed it from French in the 1700s), and was later shortened to form the verb. Proliferation originally referred to the botanical phenomenon of some plants having buds, flowers, or other parts that are adventitious—that is, that arise or occur sporadically or in other than the usual location (e.g. pitch pines’ ability to sprout new trees directly from their stumps after a fire). With advances in the study of biology in the 1800s, proliferation came to be used to refer to the rapid and repeated production of cells by division. That sense in turn begat the verb proliferate, which eventually came to be used when anything—whether living (such as yeast) or nonliving (such as data)—quickly increases or multiplies.

Examples of proliferate in a Sentence

rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet
Recent Examples on the Web Governments have ratcheted up spending on defense in recent years as security threats have proliferated, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Anna Cooban, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 This has proliferated over the decades, because of the nature of the system itself. Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Hackers and hacks 💔 Operations running pig-butchering scams (aka romance scams) are proliferating around the world, building beyond their Southeast Asian roots. Sam Sabin, Axios, 1 Oct. 2024 Across the region, state laws seek to keep the predators from proliferating out of the mountainous Yellowstone ecosystem and into other areas where ranchers run cattle and sheep. CBS News, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for proliferate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proliferate.' 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

back-formation from proliferation, from French prolifération, from proliférer to proliferate, from prolifère reproducing freely, from Latin proles + -fer -ferous

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of proliferate was in 1866

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near proliferate

Cite this Entry

“Proliferate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proliferate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

proliferate

verb
pro·​lif·​er·​ate prə-ˈlif-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce proliferate (audio)
proliferated; proliferating
: to grow or increase rapidly
proliferation noun

Medical Definition

proliferate

verb
pro·​lif·​er·​ate prə-ˈlif-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce proliferate (audio)
proliferated; proliferating

intransitive verb

: to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring

transitive verb

: to cause to grow by proliferating

More from Merriam-Webster on proliferate

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!