interpenetrate

[ in-ter-pen-i-treyt ]

verb (used with object)

, in·ter·pen·e·trat·ed, in·ter·pen·e·trat·ing.

1. to penetrate thoroughly; permeate.
2. to penetrate with (something else) mutually or reciprocally.

verb (used without object)

, in·ter·pen·e·trat·ed, in·ter·pen·e·trat·ing.

1. to penetrate between things or parts.
2. to penetrate each other.

interpenetrate

/ ˌɪntəˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt /

verb

1. to penetrate (something) thoroughly; pervade
2. to penetrate each other or one another mutually

Derived Forms

• ˌinterˈpenetrable, adjective
• ˌinterˈpenetrant, adjective
• ˌinterˌpeneˈtration, noun
• ˌinterˈpenetratively, adverb
• ˌinterˈpenetrative, adjective

Other Words From

• in·ter·pen·e·tra·ble [in-ter-, pen, -i-tr, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
• inter·pene·trant adjective
• inter·pene·tration noun
• inter·pene·trative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interpenetrate¹

First recorded in 1800–10; inter- + penetrate

Example Sentences

As the past and the present interpenetrate in Clark’s performance, you may feel, as I did, the themes of “Kimberly Akimbo” recombining to achieve an even sharper focus.

From New York Times

Negative space and positive materiality interpenetrate in an extraordinary formal condensation of Cubist technique.

From Los Angeles Times

The possibility that all things known and unknown are interpenetrated.

From Washington Post

Crazing patterns in polymers form in a direction perpendicular to the applied stress, and consist of interpenetrating, micrometre-scale voids bridged by highly oriented polymer microfibrils.

From Nature

The substantial reconstruction that is needed to convert single networks into interpenetrating ones requires a large energy barrier to be overcome.

From Nature