invasive

[ in-vey-siv ]

adjective

1. characterized by or involving invasion; offensive:

   invasive war.

2. invading, or tending to invade; intrusive:

   Every party we have is crashed by those invasive neighbors.

3. Medicine/Medical. requiring the entry of a needle, catheter, or other instrument into a part of the body, especially in a diagnostic procedure, as a biopsy:

   An x-ray is not invasive, but it may not tell us everything we need to know.

4. (of a plant, especially a nonnative one) posing a threat to a plant community by growing vigorously and spreading prolifically among the previously established vegetation:

   One of these invasive Asian grasses is making its way to the forest floors of southern Indiana.

invasive

/ ɪnˈveɪsɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to an invasion, intrusion, etc
2. relating to or denoting cancer at the stage at which it has spread from its site of origin to other tissues
3. (of surgery) involving making a relatively large incision in the body to gain access to the target of the surgery, as opposed to making a small incision or gaining access endoscopically through a natural orifice

invasive

/ ĭn-vā′sĭv /

1. 1. Relating to a disease or condition that has a tendency to spread, especially a malignant cancer that spreads into healthy tissue.
   2. Relating to a medical procedure in which a part of the body is entered, as by puncture or incision.
2. Not native to and tending to spread widely in a habitat or environment. Invasive species often have few natural predators or other biological controls in their new environment. Although not always considered harmful to an environment, invasive species can become agricultural or ecological pests and can displace native species from their habitats. Invasive species are often introduced to an environment unintentionally, as the zebra mussel was to the Great Lakes, but are sometimes introduced for a purpose, as kudzu was to the southern US, where it was originally planted to control erosion.

Other Words From

• unin·vasive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of invasive¹

First recorded in 1580–1600; French invasif, from Medieval Latin invāsīvus, derivative of Latin invāsus, past participle of invādere “to come into, go into, usurp, attack,” invasion, -ive

Example Sentences

Many men with a low-risk cancer are simply monitored or begin “watchful waiting” - but a cancer diagnosis and the invasive tests it involves have a psychological impact.

From BBC

She said: "One of the more common things people will ask is, how do you have sex? It kind of takes your breath back, it's such an invasive and personal question."

From BBC

But when fires burn too large and too frequently, as seen in the Camarillo area, the larger, more resilient foliage struggles to regrow, allowing for quick-growing, invasive grasses to take hold — which easily dry out and turn into kindling.

From Los Angeles Times

The research compared conventional and new digital methods of making prosthetics, with recent 3D scanning techniques found to be a less invasive way of capturing a patient’s face.

From BBC

Repeated blazes in a single area create a dangerous cycle that burns down brush and trees and makes room for light invasive grasses that provide excellent tinder for new fires — especially this year after two seasons of high growth were followed by record-setting late-summer heat.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• nosy