penetrate

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10874

Meanings

1

verb
To go into or pass through something, often by force.

The bullet penetrated the thick wooden door.
2

verb
To make your way deep into or through something.

The explorers could not penetrate the dense forest.
3

verb
To understand something difficult or hidden.

No one could penetrate the meaning of his strange remarks.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to go into or pass through... perforate

Word family

Forms penetrablepenetratedpenetratespenetratingpenetratinglyunpenetrated

Derived forms impenetrateinterpenetratenonpenetratedoverpenetratepenetrablepenetrancepenetrateepenetrationpenetratorrepenetrateunderpenetratedunpenetrated

Related forms double-penetrate

Etymology

From Latin penētrātus, perfect passive participle of penētrō (“to put, set, or place within, enter, pierce, penetrate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from penes (“within, with”) by analogy to intrō (“to go in, enter”). Compare French pénétrer.

*pen- Proto-Indo-European penētrātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# penetrate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 10874

## Meanings
1. To go into or pass through something, often by force.
2. To make your way deep into or through something.
3. To understand something difficult or hidden.

## Examples
- The bullet penetrated the thick wooden door.
- The explorers could not penetrate the dense forest.
- No one could penetrate the meaning of his strange remarks.

## Derived Forms
- impenetrate
- interpenetrate
- nonpenetrated
- overpenetrate
- penetrable
- penetrance
- penetratee
- penetration
- penetrator
- repenetrate
- underpenetrated
- unpenetrated

## Related Forms
- double-penetrate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pen-
- Root: penētrātus

## Etymology
From Latin penētrātus, perfect passive participle of penētrō (“to put, set, or place within, enter, pierce, penetrate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from penes (“within, with”) by analogy to intrō (“to go in, enter”). Compare French pénétrer.

## AI Etymology
Penetrate comes from Latin penētrātus, perfect passive participle of penētrō (“to put, set, or place within, enter, pierce, penetrate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from penes (“within, with”) by analogy to intrō (“to go in, enter”). Compare French pénétrer. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *pen- and Latin penētrātus. Modern senses include to go into or pass through something, often by force and to make your way deep into or through something. The wider word family includes derivatives such as impenetrate, interpenetrate, nonpenetrated, overpenetrate, penetrable, and penetrance and related forms such as double-penetrate.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Verbs of Movement

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penetrate

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