- (v.t.) To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance into; to pierce; as, light penetrates darkness.
- (v.t.) To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply; as, to penetrate one's heart with pity.
- (v.i.) To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively.
- (v.t.) To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at the inner contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult subject; to comprehend; to understand.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). penetrate. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/2043327 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "penetrate" http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/2043327 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, penetrate, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/2043327>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "penetrate" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/2043327> |