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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").
Examples of pervade in a Sentence
Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Mainstream music was soon pervaded by miniature forms that could be memorized—the four-minute song, not the 40-minute symphony.
—Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
That spirit still pervades a place of rare enchantment, where guests are made to feel like part of an extended family.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
The polarization of these radio waves is caused by the orientation of the magnetic field that pervades LBN 483's inner sanctum.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pervade
Cite this Entry
“Pervade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervade. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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