Meaning & use

infiltration

noun·Academic

The act of secretly entering an organization, place, or group in order to gain information or influence it.

See it in a sentence

The spy's infiltration of the enemy camp gave the army crucial intelligence.

Slow infiltration of water through the soil eventually reached the underground pipes.

A note on using this word

Common in espionage and military contexts, but also used literally for liquids or gases entering a material.

Words with a similar meaning

penetration

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

The gradual movement of a liquid or gas into a substance or area.

Infiltration of rainwater into the basement caused the mold problem.

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