Pervasive
mediumNeutral toneper-VAY-siv
adjective
Definition
Spreading widely throughout an area or group of people
Memory hook
PER-VASIVE: Spreads through every VASE in the room -- pervasive means everywhere.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“There is a pervasive sense of anxiety in the community.”
“The pervasive influence of social media affects modern communication.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“There is a ______ sense of anxiety in the community.”
Show answer
pervasive
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Pervasive is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "widespread" or "prevalent" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "rare".
Related GRE Words
rampant
Flourishing or spreading unchecked; unrestrained
ubiquitous
Present, appearing, or found everywhere
widespread
Found or distributed over a large area or number of people
endemic
Regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
diffuse
to spread out widely; (as adjective) spread out and lacking concentration
disseminate
to spread or distribute widely, especially information
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