Penetrate

How to spell penetrate

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce penetrate

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does penetrate mean?

1. verbTo pass into or through something, or to succeed in understanding or gaining access to something.

Penetrate in a sentence

• The nail was long enough to penetrate the thick board.

• Strong sunlight could not penetrate the dense forest canopy.

Where does penetrate come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin verb penetrare, meaning 'to put or get inside' or 'to pierce into', which was formed on penitus, an adverb meaning 'deep within' or 'right to the inside'. The Romans used it both literally, for something passing into a body or a place, and figuratively, for understanding or insight reaching the heart of a matter. English adopted it in the sixteenth century, around the 1520s, drawing directly on the Latin past participle penetratus. The same penitus root that gives the sense of 'inner depth' also lies behind the word 'penetralia', a learned term for the innermost parts of a building or temple. The single letters in 'penetrate', one e between each consonant cluster and no doubling, often trip writers who expect a heavier spelling, so it helps to picture the steady pen-e-trate rhythm.

How the word is built

• penetr- (from Latin penetrare: to enter, pierce, from penitus 'deep within')
• -ate (verb suffix)