Meaning & use

pervasive

adjective·Advanced

Present throughout a place, group, or situation.

See it in a sentence

A pervasive smell of smoke lingered throughout the building.

The report describes a pervasive belief that the process is unfair.

A note on using this word

Pervasive emphasizes how widely something spreads through a setting, not how strong it is at one point.

Words with a similar meaning

widespreadpermeating

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

Words with an opposite meaning

limitedlocalized

Make it your own

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