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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Recent Examples of pervasive
The junk food is so pervasive that its consumption made up almost 20 percent of the time that the monkeys spent eating.
—
Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Perhaps the more plausible explanation is that, with man-to-man marking becoming so pervasive in England’s top flight, the players are unaccustomed to breaking down a zonal block.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
As if to prove how pervasive such incidents are, just three days later, on April 19, 2026, eight children were killed in a mass shooting related to intimate partner violence in Louisiana.
—Kathryn Spearman, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
The influence of Westerns and other films from classical Hollywood is pervasive throughout the new season, even in locations that might not seem to lend themselves to such an approach.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pervasive
Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Perhaps the more plausible explanation is that, with man-to-man marking becoming so pervasive in England’s top flight, the players are unaccustomed to breaking down a zonal block.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
As if to prove how pervasive such incidents are, just three days later, on April 19, 2026, eight children were killed in a mass shooting related to intimate partner violence in Louisiana.
—Kathryn Spearman, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
The influence of Westerns and other films from classical Hollywood is pervasive throughout the new season, even in locations that might not seem to lend themselves to such an approach.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pervasive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pervasive
Adjective
-
One of the earliest examples of citizen journalism took place before the widespread use of the Internet.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Social media posts indicated a widespread skepticism about the school board’s request, and the finance board Tuesday night endorsed cutting the education increase by $125,000.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen cut their teeth as part of the Rams organization, learning from GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, with weight loss often comes excess skin, another condition Kamal increasingly encounters as semiglutides become more prevalent.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our social problem of bad food being so prevalent and so cheap and being subsidized by the government.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez is a lead contender to replace Morales, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This takes the Hylian magic of Nintendo’s long-running RPG game and brings it to the modern gamer in ways both familiar and unique.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Pervasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pervasive. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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