ENGLISH
REFERENCE

infiltrated

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɪnfɪɫˌtɹeɪtɪd// UK //ˈɪnfɪltɹˌeɪtɪd// in·fil·trat·ed

adj. describing something that has been entered secretly or quietly, often to cause harm or get information. You use this when someone or something has sneaked into a group or place without being noticed.

adj. having entered or gained access to an organisation or place surreptitiously, typically for subversive purposes. Participial adjective; often used predicatively after 'be' or 'become'.


SIMPLE

The police discovered that the gang was already infiltrated by an agent.

CONTEXTUAL

Security experts warned that the private network had been infiltrated by hackers months before the data leak.

COMPLEX

The documentary explores how the activist group became infiltrated by undercover officers, leading to a complete breakdown of trust among its core members.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows a linking verb or appears in passive constructions.

Pitfall

The spy infiltrated into the buildingThe spy infiltrated the buildingWhen used as a verb, 'infiltrate' is transitive and does not require the preposition 'into'.

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