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propagate

verb

prop·a·gateˈprä-pə-ˌgāt How to pronounce propagate (audio)

propagated;propagating

Synonyms ofpropagate next

transitive verb

:to cause to continue or increase by sexual or asexual reproduction

:to pass along to offspring

:to cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area:extend

:to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (something, such as an idea or belief):publicize

:to transmit (something, such as sound or light) through a medium

intransitive verb

:to multiply sexually or asexually

:increase,extend

:to travel through space or a material

—used of wave energy (such as light, sound, or radio waves)

propagative

ˈprä-pə-ˌgā-tiv How to pronounce propagate (audio)

adjective

propagator

ˈprä-pə-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce propagate (audio)

noun

Did you know?

The origins ofpropagate are firmly rooted in the field ofhorticulture. The word is a 16th century Latin borrowing, ultimately from the verbpropagare, which means "to set (onto a plant) a small shoot or twig cut for planting or grafting." The word's meaning quickly extended from the realm of the farm and field to less material kinds of reproduction, such as the spreading of ideas and beliefs. The similarity betweenpropagate andpropaganda is not coincidental; that word also comes to us frompropagare, although it tooka more circuitous route.

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples ofpropagate in a Sentence

We are discovering new ways topropagate plants without seeds. Hepropagated the apple tree by grafting. The plants failed topropagate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage.Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.Send us feedback.

His greenhouse houses maybe 50 of his own varieties among 125 stock plants used in ongoing breeding and topropagateinventory for retail customers.—

Margaret Roach,New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025Misleading Social Media Advice: Platforms like TikTokpropagateinaccurate tax advice, encouraging users to create fake documents or claim ineligible credits.—

Matthew F. Erskine,Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025Pollen Pollen is a powdery substance made of tiny grains that plants release topropagate.—

Nancy Lebrun,Verywell Health, 17 Mar. 2025Project 2025, the Republican party's policy visionpropagatedby the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation, pledged to go even further, and finally fulfill the dream of eliminating the Department of Education.—

Austin Steelman / Made By History,TIME, 12 Mar. 2025See All Example Sentences forpropagate

Word History

Etymology

Latinpropagatus, past participle ofpropagare to set slips, propagate, frompropages slip, offspring, frompro- before +pangere to fasten — more atpro-,pact

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined attransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use ofpropagate was in 1535

See more words from the same year