pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: existing in or spreading through every part of something

a pervasive odor

pervasively adverb

pervasiveness noun

Did you know?

Is pervasive always negative?

Pervasive is most often used of things we don't really want spreading throughout all parts of something:

a pervasive problem

a stench that is pervasive

pervasive corruption

But pervasive can occasionally also be found in neutral and even positive contexts:

a pervasive rhythm

a pervasive sense of calm

The meaning isn't neutral when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) uses it. Beginning in the early 1990s, the MPAA started giving the R rating to movies with "pervasive language." Most movies have language throughout, of course. The MPAA is using the phrase "pervasive language" to refer to the frequent use of a particular kind of language: profanity.

Examples of pervasive in a Sentence

A resuscitated orthodoxy, so pervasive as to be nearly invisible, rules the land. —Mark Slouka, Harper's, November 2004

The manic money-grab excitement of the Nineties had never been altogether free of our pervasive American guilt. —Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002

Race was never articulated as an issue at the trial, even though its presence was pervasive. —Howard Chua-Eoan, Time, 6 Mar. 2000

the pervasive nature of the problem

television's pervasive influence on our culture

Recent Examples on the Web

Healthcare should seek to improve health outcomes for all people, and should never be driven by political agendas that ignore the reality of systemic inequities that have been pervasive in America. —Omer Awan, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Stream sniping has become a more pervasive problem for both online and IRL streamers, but there are ways that creators can protect themselves when taking their broadcasts out into the real world. —Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025

Cast in shades of blue and purple, these sculptures evince a high-gloss Finish Fetish aesthetic that was pervasive in Los Angeles during its era. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025

Best presentation concept: The theme of art was pervasive throughout Milan and played a strong role in many of the presentation concepts. —Luisa Zargani, WWD, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see pervade

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pervasive

• all-pervasive
• pervasive developmental disorder

Rhymes for pervasive

• abrasive
• invasive
• persuasive
• noninvasive
• unpersuasive

Kids Definition

pervasive

adjective

per·​va·​sive pər-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: spread throughout so thoroughly as to be seen or felt everywhere

the pervasive influence of television

the pervasive dampness of the mines

pervasively adverb

pervasiveness noun