Standard Lemma guide

pervasiveness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pəˈveɪ.sɪv.nɪs/
  • Canada, General-American: /pɚˈveɪ.sɪv.nɪs/
  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /pəˈvæɪ.sɪv.nɪs/
  • New-Zealand: /pəˈvæɪ.səv.nəs/
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER0 V EY1 S IH0 V N IH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quality of filling or spreading throughout

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the pervasiveness of the odor of cabbage in tenement hallways

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: generality

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English pervasive Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English pervasiveness From pervasive + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: omnipresència — the state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place
  • Catalan: ubiqüitat — the state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place
  • Finnish: läsnäolo kaikkialla — the state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place
  • German: Verbreitung — the state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place
  • Spanish: omnipresencia — the state or quality of being present in all parts of a particular thing or place