Proliferate
/prəˈlɪfəˌreɪt/
verbC1
Definition
To proliferate means to multiply or grow fast in number. It is often used to talk about things like cells, ideas, products, or problems that suddenly increase a lot in a short time. The word shows a quick and large increase.
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See It in Action
To increase quickly in number or amount
- •The cells proliferate during healing to fix the wound.
- •New companies proliferate in the city after the economy improves.
- •Fake news can proliferate rapidly on social media.
To multiply or spread fast in a way that can be good or bad
- •Weeds proliferate in the garden if you don’t remove them.
- •Ideas about the new technology proliferated among students.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'proliferate' like 'grow,' but much faster and in large amounts all at once.
- ✓Picture a small plant suddenly growing many leaves and branches quickly, filling a whole garden.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see more and more of something everywhere, like many balloons filling a room.
- ✓Sounds like 'pro-lif-er-ate' → imagine a life (like living things) making more life very fast.
- ✓Think of a story where rabbits multiply quickly, filling a field in a short time.
- ✓NOT like 'grow' (which can be slow and small), 'proliferate' means very fast and many.
- ✓NOT like 'spread' (which can be slow or small), 'proliferate' means increase in number quickly and strongly.
Try Other Words
- •Multiply: to increase in number (Use when focusing on the number increasing, but not necessarily very fast)
- •Spread: to move or grow over a large area (Use when emphasizing movement or area covered rather than number)
- •Increase: to become larger in amount or number (Use for general growth, less strong than proliferate)
- •Expand: to grow bigger in size or range (Use when talking about size or area rather than number)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: 'pro-' (forward, much) + 'lifer' (from Latin 'lifer' related to life) + '-ate' (verb ending meaning to cause or do)
- •Etymology: From Latin 'proliferare,' meaning to produce offspring or to bear young, related to 'proles' meaning offspring or descendants
- •Historical development: Originally used in biology to describe reproduction or producing many offspring; later extended to mean rapid increase in numbers or amount in many contexts
- •Modern usage: Used in science, business, and social contexts to describe fast growth or spread of things like cells, products, ideas, or problems
Reflect & Connect
•How can understanding the word 'proliferate' help you describe changes in nature or society?
•Can something proliferate too much? What might be good or bad about that?
Fill in the blanks
1.When bacteria proliferate, it usually means the environment is ___ for their growth.
2.Problems can proliferate quickly if people do not ___ them early.
3.Unlike slow growth, to proliferate means to increase in ___ and speed.
4.The phrase 'proliferate ___' is often used to describe how ideas or information spread fast.
5.Plants tend to proliferate in places where there is plenty of ___ and sunlight.
6.When rumors proliferate, it is hard to ___ what is true.
7.Technology companies began to proliferate ___ the 2000s, changing the economy rapidly.