SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
pervasive
adjective
Spread widely throughout an area, group, or situation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Spread throughout
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPervasive emphasizes spreading through a setting; prevalent emphasizes how commonly something occurs.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See pervasive in use
A pervasive sense of optimism followed the successful opening.
The archive's digital folders revealed a different issue. Version confusion was endemic to its informal file-sharing practice, where everyone saved separate copies with similar names. The resulting uncertainty was pervasive across the folders.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license