penetration
noun
pen·e·tra·tion
| \ ˌpe-nə-ˈtrā-shən
\
\
Definition of penetration
b
: the depth to which something penetrates
c
: the extent to which a commercial product or agency is familiar or sells in a market
2
: the act or process of penetrating: such as
a
: the act of entering a country so that actual establishment of influence is accomplished
b
: an attack that penetrates the enemy's front or territory
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Examples of penetration in a Sentence
Cuts in the skin could permit the penetration of bacteria into the body.
the penetration of the CIA by foreign agents
the penetration of the U.S. market by a foreign company
multiple penetrations into enemy territory
a writer who analyzes the underlying causes of the recession with great penetration
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Recent Examples on the Web
The officers who searched Loyd after his arrest said no strip search was conducted, and there was no indication of penetration noted in his medical records from Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to the report. — Tess Sheets, orlandosentinel.com, "Markeith Loyd describes beating by Orlando cops in interview conducted for probe that cleared officers," 31 July 2019 But, while Microsoft’s mobile efforts have never reached the success of its competitors, its mobile versions of Microsoft Office still enjoy a significant amount of market penetration, much like their desktop counterparts. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Microsoft Word for Android has been installed more than 1 billion times," 14 July 2019 The e-commerce hopefuls see a route to riches by closing the gap between online retail’s penetration in their markets and that enjoyed by Amazon in America, which remains three times larger. — The Economist, "Baby Amazons take on their American role model," 1 Aug. 2019 But is that kind of penetration even possible with baseball? — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "Why Isn't Mookie Betts a Household Name? It's Complicated," 16 July 2019 Despite rapid gains in internet penetration in West Africa fueled by 4G connections and cheap smartphones, most Malians, who cannot read or write, still find the web of limited use. — Anna Pujol-mazzini, latimes.com, "Illiterate entrepreneurs in Mali now have their own social media app," 17 June 2019 Credit-card penetration in China, however, is low compared with the U.S. Apple’s own digital-wallet service, Apple Pay, has also failed to gain traction in the country since its launch three years ago. — Stella Yifan Xie, WSJ, "Apple to Chinese Consumers: Buy a New iPhone for Under $30 a Month, Interest Free," 21 Feb. 2019 While those cases generally involved groping and kissing without consent, Carroll alleged forced penetration. — chicagotribune.com, "Trump says famed advice columnist who accused him of sexual assault is ‘not my type’," 24 June 2019 While those cases generally involved groping and kissing without consent, Carroll alleged forced penetration. — Julio Ojeda-zapata, Twin Cities, "Trump: Woman who accused him of sexual assault not his type," 24 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'penetration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for penetration
penetration
noun
English Language Learners Definition of penetration
: the act of going through or into something : the act of penetrating something
formal
: an ability to understand things clearly and fully
See the full definition for penetration in the English Language Learners Dictionary
penetration
noun
pen·e·tra·tion
| \ ˌpe-nə-ˈtrā-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of penetration
1
: the act or process of piercing
2
: keen understanding
penetration
noun
pen·e·tra·tion
| \ ˌpen-ə-ˈtrā-shən
\
\
Medical Definition of penetration
1
: the depth to which something penetrates
2
: the act or process of penetrating
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