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

proliferations

noun

plural of proliferation

as in increases

something added (as by growth) a large proliferation in the number of electrical appliances was placing enormous demands upon the region's power supply

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

increases
additions
accretions
expansions
boosts
accumulations
augmentations
gains
upticks
rises
increments
raises
more
supplements
accruals
addenda
addendums
pluses
extensions
continuations
plusses
spikes
assemblages
collections
step-ups
gatherings
upturns
appendixes
accessions
complements
jumps
appendices
uptrends
run-ups

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reductions
shrinkages
diminutions
decreases
losses
diminishments
depletions
declines
abatements
falls
decrements
falloffs
deductions
subtractions
step-downs
drop-offs

as in accumulations

the act or process of becoming greater in number the proliferation of mistakes as both actors and crew became more and more tired

Synonyms & Similar Words

accumulations
increases
additions
growths
multiplications
expansions
escalations
cumulations
inflations
enlargements
accretions
amplifications
extensions
augmentations
creeps
distensions
rises
spreads
distentions
accruals
gains
increments
rises
hikes
boosts

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

decreases
condensations
reductions
shrinkages
diminutions
contractions
diminishments
abatements
falloffs
falls
drops
shortenings
retrenchments
constrictions
compressions
drop-offs

单词	proliferations
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 proliferations noun plural of proliferation 1 as in increases something added (as by growth) a large proliferation in the number of electrical appliances was placing enormous demands upon the region's power supply Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance increases additions accretions expansions boosts accumulations augmentations gains upticks rises increments raises more supplements accruals addenda addendums pluses extensions continuations plusses spikes assemblages collections step-ups gatherings upturns appendixes accessions complements jumps appendices uptrends run-ups Antonyms & Near Antonyms reductions shrinkages diminutions decreases losses diminishments depletions declines abatements falls decrements falloffs deductions subtractions step-downs drop-offs See More 2 as in accumulations the act or process of becoming greater in number the proliferation of mistakes as both actors and crew became more and more tired Synonyms & Similar Words accumulations increases additions growths multiplications expansions escalations cumulations inflations enlargements accretions amplifications extensions augmentations creeps distensions rises spreads distentions accruals gains increments rises hikes boosts Antonyms & Near Antonyms decreases condensations reductions shrinkages diminutions contractions diminishments abatements falloffs falls drops shortenings retrenchments constrictions compressions drop-offs See More
随便看	reggio di calabria reggio emilia reggio nell'emilia regia dona regicidal regicide regicides regicidism regidor regidores regie regift regifted regifter regifting regifts regild regilded regilding regilds regilt regime regime dotal regimen regimens

proliferate

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

verb

noun