proliferate

verb

pro·lif·er·ate prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrāt How to pronounce proliferate (audio)

proliferated; proliferating

intransitive verb

: to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring

: to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply

transitive verb

: to cause to grow by proliferating

: to cause to increase in number or extent as if by proliferating

proliferation

prə-ˌli-fə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce proliferate (audio)

noun

proliferative

prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce proliferate (audio)

prə-ˈli-f(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce proliferate (audio)

adjective

Did you know?

Proliferate is a back-formation of proliferation. That means that proliferation came first (we borrowed it from French in the 18th century) and was later shortened to form the verb proliferate. Ultimately these terms come from Latin. The French adjective prolifère ("reproducing freely") comes from the Latin noun proles and the Latin combining form -fer. Proles means "offspring" or "descendants," and -fer means "bearing." Both of these Latin forms gave rise to numerous other English words. Prolific and proletarian ultimately come from proles; aquifer and words ending in -ferous have their roots in -fer.

Example Sentences

rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet

Recent Examples on the Web Fictional matters proliferate, even as fiction itself implodes.

Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 Full-service grocery stores proliferate across the city, but in majority-Black wards 7 and 8, that number can be counted on one hand.

Vanessa G. Sánchez, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 These beneficial microorganisms then proliferate and push out pathogenic bacteria.

The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 June 2022 In 21st-century America, such toxic narratives not only proliferate but increasingly gain legitimacy and currency within public discourse.

Arie Kruglanski, The Conversation, 19 May 2022 As sports documentaries and biopics proliferate—yet another Lakers series, this one created with the team’s owner, is expected this summer from Hulu—such categories are shifting.

Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 4 May 2022 Georgian restaurants proliferate in Saint Petersburg, and many Americans might recall the news footage of Muscovites swarming the country’s first McDonald’s in 1990.

Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2022 Their rise in popularity preceded the pandemic, as smartphones became indispensable to people of all ages, and these tools have continued to proliferate and evolve with society.

Rayna Song, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Lawyers expect questions around victims’ rights will continue to proliferate in white-collar crime cases.

Dylan Tokar, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 See More

单词	proliferative
释义	proliferate verb pro·lif·er·ate prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrāt proliferated; proliferating intransitive verb 1 : to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring 2 : to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply transitive verb 1 : to cause to grow by proliferating 2 : to cause to increase in number or extent as if by proliferating proliferation prə-ˌli-fə-ˈrā-shən noun proliferative prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrā-tiv prə-ˈli-f(ə-)rə-tiv adjective Did you know? Proliferate is a back-formation of proliferation. That means that proliferation came first (we borrowed it from French in the 18th century) and was later shortened to form the verb proliferate. Ultimately these terms come from Latin. The French adjective prolifère ("reproducing freely") comes from the Latin noun proles and the Latin combining form -fer. Proles means "offspring" or "descendants," and -fer means "bearing." Both of these Latin forms gave rise to numerous other English words. Prolific and proletarian ultimately come from proles; aquifer and words ending in -ferous have their roots in -fer. Synonyms accelerate accumulate appreciate balloon boom build up burgeon bourgeon climb enlarge escalate expand gain increase mount multiply mushroom rise roll up snowball spread swell wax See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet Recent Examples on the Web Fictional matters proliferate, even as fiction itself implodes. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 Full-service grocery stores proliferate across the city, but in majority-Black wards 7 and 8, that number can be counted on one hand. Vanessa G. Sánchez, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 These beneficial microorganisms then proliferate and push out pathogenic bacteria. The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 June 2022 In 21st-century America, such toxic narratives not only proliferate but increasingly gain legitimacy and currency within public discourse. Arie Kruglanski, The Conversation, 19 May 2022 As sports documentaries and biopics proliferate—yet another Lakers series, this one created with the team’s owner, is expected this summer from Hulu—such categories are shifting. Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 4 May 2022 Georgian restaurants proliferate in Saint Petersburg, and many Americans might recall the news footage of Muscovites swarming the country’s first McDonald’s in 1990. Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2022 Their rise in popularity preceded the pandemic, as smartphones became indispensable to people of all ages, and these tools have continued to proliferate and evolve with society. Rayna Song, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Lawyers expect questions around victims’ rights will continue to proliferate in white-collar crime cases. Dylan Tokar, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology back-formation from proliferation, from French prolifération, from proliférer to proliferate, from prolifère reproducing freely, from Latin proles + -fer -ferous First Known Use 1866, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Medical Definition proliferate verb pro·lif·er·ate prə-ˈlif-ə-ˌrāt proliferated; proliferating intransitive verb : to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring transitive verb : to cause to grow by proliferating proliferative adjective as in blooming Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance blooming swarming teeming bursting excess extra prolific thriving fecund flourishing luxuriant surplus lavish adequate fertile fruitful rich sufficient abundant enough liberal fat satisfactory generous bountiful plenteous tolerable plentiful copious ample Antonyms & Near Antonyms slender poor meager light meagre sparse inadequate scanty scarce skimpy insufficient deficient lacking stingy sparing slim short exiguous scant spare niggardly hand-to-mouth wanting skimp bare bare-bones See More
随便看	grains of paradise grainsick grainsickness grainy graip graips graisse graisse disease graith grakles Grallae Grallatores grallatorial grallina gralline gralloch gralloched gralloching grallochs gram gram calorie Gram complex gram equivalent gram molecular weight gram stain

proliferate

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

verb

adjective