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English speakers borrowed pervade in the mid-17th century from Latin pervadere, meaning "to go through." Pervadere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb vadere, meaning "to go." Synonyms of pervade include permeate, impregnate, and saturate. Pervade stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). Permeate implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house"). Impregnate suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). Saturate is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("the cloth is saturated with water").
Synonyms
Examples of pervade in a Sentence
David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
The drama is largely relational, as the Koubek brothers and their paramours wrestle with the conventions that pervade their lives.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024
Though younger voters are generally more left-leaning than older ones, the antiwar protests that pervaded college campuses this year demonstrated just how frustrated many young voters are with the Democratic establishment’s approach to the war in Gaza.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
The concurrent exhibitions will honor the enduring Spanish influences that pervade The Palm Beaches, especially in Boca Raton, where the city's Spanish Colonial Revival aesthetic upholds the legacy of architect Addison Mizner.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Pervade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervade. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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