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Synonyms

diffusive

American  
[dih-fyoo-siv] / dɪˈfyu sɪv /

adjective

  1. tending to diffuse; characterized by diffusion.


diffusive British  
/ dɪˈfjuːsɪv /

adjective

  1. characterized by diffusion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • diffusively adverb
  • diffusiveness noun
  • interdiffusive adjective
  • interdiffusiveness noun
  • self-diffusive adjective
  • self-diffusively adverb
  • self-diffusiveness noun
  • undiffusive adjective
  • undiffusively adverb
  • undiffusiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of diffusive

First recorded in 1605–15; diffuse + -ive

Vocabulary lists containing diffusive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"In this state, quantum coherence and many-body entanglement prevent the system from thermalizing and from showing diffusive behavior, even under sustained external driving," explains Hanns Christoph Nägerl.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

The second type is known as diffusive transport, which occurs when motion is dominated by random collisions.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

It was more of a diffusive process where the leadership faltered.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2021

Aciman, a famous Proustian, is clearly interested in the diffusive action of time and the heartaches of temps perdu.

From Washington Post • Oct. 29, 2019

Puritanism was radical in its views and sentiments, yet lacking that diffusive propagandist power inhering in conventional bodies.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 93, July, 1865 by Various