Diffusion Meaning
/dɪˈfjuː.ʒən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe act of diffusing or dispersing something, or the property of being diffused or dispersed; dispersion.
nounThe scattering of light by reflection from a rough surface, or by passage through a translucent medium.
Sentence Examples
Diffusion is passive because it doesn't require an external source of energy.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The rapid ____ of the virus across continents alarmed health officials.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
____ is passive because it doesn't require an external source of energy.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin diffūsiō, from diffundō; can be decomposed as diffuse + -ion.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Even the false-necked vase, though it reaches its widest diffusion at this epoch, is, as we have seen, a type found existing in much earlier strata."
— 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 99:
"The chief salesman of the A.I. boom, Sam Altman of OpenAI, said there was more resistance to “the diffusion, the absorption” of A.I. into the culture and economy than he expected."
— 2026 February 21, David Streitfeld, quoting Sam Altman, “People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The rapid ____ of the virus across continents alarmed health officials.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
____ is passive because it doesn't require an external source of energy.