ubiquitous
- 01 C1 Advanced
appearing or existing everywhere at the same time.
existing or being everywhere at the same time; omnipresent. Often used to describe the pervasive nature of modern technology or global brands.
Simple“Mobile phones have become ubiquitous in modern society, even in remote areas.”
In context“The ubiquitous influence of social media has fundamentally altered the way political campaigns are conducted and perceived by the public.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun or after a linking verb like 'become' or 'be'.
Teacher's tipWhile the literal meaning is 'everywhere at once', it is most commonly used to describe things that are so common they are hard to avoid.
Synonyms
“What began as an inside joke became one of the most ubiquitous pieces of modern music, calming countless callers across the planet.”
“Now, a team led by David Kuridze and Friedrich Wöger of the National Solar Observatory reports that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities are not just visible on the Sun, but they’re ubiquitous.”
From ubiquity + -ous, from Medieval Latin ubīquitās, from Latin ubīque (“everywhere”), from ubī̆ (“where”) + -que (“each, ever”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.