Standard Lemma guide

propagation

noun · 8 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: /pɹɒpəˈɡeɪʃən/
  • General-American: /pɹɑpəˈɡeɪʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AA2 P AH0 G EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The multiplication or natural increase in a population.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • plant propagation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The farmer specialized in the propagation of rare orchids.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number.

The winning of new converts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

Examples

  • Radio propagation varies with atmospheric conditions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The elongation part of transcription.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of producing offspring or multiplying by such production

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: generation, multiplication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reproduction, procreation, breeding, facts of life

Narrower terms: biogenesis, biogeny

7

noun

Meaning 7

the spreading of something (a belief or practice) into new regions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: extension

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dissemination, airing, public exposure, spreading

8

noun

Meaning 8

the movement of a wave through a medium

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: physical phenomenon

Narrower terms: Doppler effect, Doppler shift, red shift, redshift, wave front

History

Etymology

From Middle French propagation, from Old French propagacion, from Latin propagatio. Morphologically propagate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: размножение (razmnoženie) — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Catalan: propagació — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Finnish: lisääntyminen — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Galician: propagación — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Greek: αναπαραγωγή (anaparagogí) — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Indonesian: pembiakan — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Indonesian: perbanyakan — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Indonesian: pengembangbiakan — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Indonesian: propagasi — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Italian: propagazione — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Malay: pembiakan — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Māori: whakamakurutanga — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Portuguese: propagação — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Russian: размноже́ние (razmnožénije) — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Russian: воспроизведе́ние (vosproizvedénije) — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Spanish: propagación — the multiplication or natural increase in a population
  • Bulgarian: разпространение (razprostranenie) — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Catalan: propagació — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Finnish: leviäminen — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Finnish: levittäytyminen — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Finnish: levittäminen — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Indonesian: perbanyakan — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Italian: propagazione — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Malay: penyebaran — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Portuguese: propagação — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Russian: распростране́ние (rasprostranénije) — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Spanish: propagación — the dissemination of something to a larger area or greater number
  • Bulgarian: разпространение (razprostranenie) — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Finnish: eteneminen — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Greek: διάδοση (diádosi) — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Indonesian: propagasi — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Indonesian: rambatan — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Indonesian: perambatan — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Italian: propagazione — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Malay: perambatan — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Malay: rambatan — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Malay: pembiakan — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Portuguese: propagação — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Russian: распростране́ние (rasprostranénije) — the act of propagating, especially the movement of a wave
  • Finnish: käännyttäminen — winning new converts
  • Indonesian: penyebaran — winning new converts
  • Malay: pendakwahan — winning new converts
Real reading context

propagation in complete knowledge articles