penetration
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of moving into or through something, like a needle going into skin or a bullet hitting a target.
the act or process of piercing or entering a physical body or substance.
Simple“The thick walls of the old castle prevented the penetration of the radio signal.”
In context“The armour was specifically designed to resist the penetration of high-velocity projectiles during close-quarters combat.”
Usageoften used with the preposition 'of' or 'into'
- 02 C1 Advanced
the percentage of people in a group who buy a certain product or use a service.
the extent to which a product or service is recognised or bought by a particular target market.
Simple“The company is happy with its market penetration in Europe this year.”
In context“Despite aggressive advertising campaigns, the brand struggled to achieve significant market penetration in rural territories dominated by local competitors.”
Usagefrequently appears in the compound 'market penetration'
- 03 C1 Advanced
the ability to understand complicated ideas or see the truth in a situation.
the capacity for acute mental discernment or the act of perceiving the inner nature of a situation.
Simple“Her analysis of the problem showed great intellectual penetration.”
In context“The philosopher was celebrated for his remarkable penetration, often identifying logical fallacies that his contemporaries had overlooked for decades.”
SynonymsAntonymsshallownessignorance - 04 C1 Advanced
the act of one body part or object entering another during sex.
the insertion of the penis or an object into a body orifice during sexual activity.
Simple“The doctor explained that the injury occurred during penetration.”
In context“Legal definitions of the act often hinge on the specific degree of penetration recorded in the forensic report.”
Usageused in medical, legal, or formal biological contexts
Synonyms
“The researchers produced a base material with a hardness above 1400 HV (a unit representing resistance to penetration), without causing defects or decomposition.”
From Middle English penetracioun, from Old French penetracïon, and its source, Latin penetrātiō, from the participle stem of penetrō (“pierce”, verb). Morphologically penetrate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.