Word.ws English Dictionary

diffusive

/dɪˈfjuːsɪv/

diffusive adjective: that is spread or dispersed across a wide area or among a large number of people.

Adjective

diffusive (comparative more diffusive, superlative most diffusive)

  1. That is spread or dispersed across a wide area or among a large number of people.
  2. Involving or employing many words; expansive, discursive; (in negative sense) long-winded.
    • I can never forget the delight with which that diffusive and ingenious orator was heard by all sides of the House, and even by those whose existence he proscribed.1791, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs of My Life, Penguin, published 1990, page 182
  3. That diffuses something; disseminating.
  4. Pertaining to diffusion.

Forms of diffusive

comparativemore diffusive
superlativemost diffusive

Origin of diffusive

From post-classical Latin diffusivus (“tending to spread; expansive”) (13th century), from participle stem of Latin diffundere (“diffuse, disperse”).

Words formed from diffusive

Questions about diffusive

What does diffusive mean?
Diffusive means that is spread or dispersed across a wide area or among a large number of people.
What part of speech is diffusive?
Diffusive is an adjective.
How do you pronounce diffusive?
Diffusive is pronounced /dɪˈfjuːsɪv/ (UK).

Words near diffusive in the dictionary

  1. diffusiophoresis
  2. diffusiophoretic
  3. diffusiophoretically
  4. diffusities
  5. diffusity
  6. diffusive
  7. diffusively
  8. diffusiveness
  9. diffusivenesses
  10. diffusivities
  11. diffusivity

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: diffusive (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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