pervasive

adjective

Definition of pervasivenext
as in widespread
existing in every part of something; spreading to all parts of something A pervasive smell filled the room. the pervasive nature of the problem

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pervasive In outline, these are elegant Bond-villain machines for faceless, leaderless, pervasive espionage and assassination, the stuff of paranoid nightmares and stochastic violence. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 There have been growing complaints about blight at the site, including homeless people living there, pervasive graffiti and skateboarders using it as a playground. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Among ordinary Russians and civil servants alike, proliferating social controls and prosecutions for treason have created a pervasive climate of mistrust and fueled a sense of paralysis. — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026 Capabilities Available Sooner Although large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers are the subject of headlines, quantum sensing may provide pervasive operational value sooner. — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pervasive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pervasive
  1. widespread
  2. general
  3. prevalent
  4. familiar
  5. prevailing
Adjective
  • There has been a widespread opinion that football has become too rigid and regimented in recent seasons, but Luis Enrique’s PSG are one of the few antidotes to that.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Millions of people live in or near bear habitat across the Rockies, where widespread drought has reduced supplies of nuts, berries and plants that bears eat.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of widespread
Adjective
  • The widespread belief was Clippers general manager Trent Redden would fill that role, but the team has not publicly revealed its plans.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That equation represents a much more general concept that can be applied to all sorts of figures and spatial dimensions.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • Based on prior studies, Kingham says, tislelizumab appears to be most effective in patients with a specific genetic signature - a signature that is three times more prevalent in Nigeria than in the US.
    — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In Vermont, federal researchers are hoping to save American elm trees by infecting young saplings with the fungal disease that has nearly exterminated the tall, once prevalent, East Coast trees.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of prevalent
Adjective
  • There's a new, yet familiar, voice in Bo Nix's ear these days.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In the New Hampshire Senate primary, the race features a congressman, a Democratic socialist, and two familiar Republicans.
    — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of familiar
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing

Browse Nearby Words

pervasions
pervasive
perverse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pervasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pervasive. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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