ENGLISH
REFERENCE

propagate

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˈpɹɑpəˌɡeɪt// UK //pɹˈɒpɐɡˌeɪt// prop·a·gate Archaic

v. to spread an idea, a belief, or a plant to more people or places.

v. to spread or promote an idea, theory, or practice widely; in a biological context, to breed or grow specimens from a parent stock.


SIMPLE

The gardener learned how to propagate roses from cuttings.

CONTEXTUAL

The internet allows misinformation to propagate much faster than traditional media ever could.

COMPLEX

While the original theory was developed in a small lab, the researchers worked tirelessly to propagate their findings across the global scientific community to ensure peer validation.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested in 1535; from Latin prōpāgātus, perfect passive participle of prōpāgō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

Usage

The verb is transitive when referring to plants or ideas, but can be used intransitively in physics or computing to describe how waves or signals travel.

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