invasive

UK/ɪnˈveɪsɪv/US/ɪnˈveɪsɪv/

adjectiveB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,828 of 15,258leans written

Invasive means spreading harmfully into places it should not be. An invasive species, invasive surgery, invasive questions.

An invasive species is one introduced by people that spreads and drives out what was there, and it is among the largest causes of extinction. In medicine, invasive means going inside the body, and minimally invasive surgery is the goal for that reason.

Definitions of invasive

1adjectiveinvasiveSpreading harmfully into places it should not be.B2+
“The invasive weed spread through the garden and choked the other plants.”

invasive is a quality.

Where it comes from

Medieval Latin invasivus comes from invadere, to go in — in plus vadere, to go.

Proto-Indo-European
*weh₂dʰ- — to go, proceed; to pass, traverse
Latin
invāsus — entered; invaded
Medieval Latin
invāsīvus
Old French
invasif — invasive
Middle French
invasif
Middle English
invasif — of a weapon: offensive
English, today
invasive

Built from

invādō · Latin — to enter; to invade
vādō · Latin — to go; to rush; to walk

The adjective is derived from Middle English invasif (“of a weapon: offensive”), from Middle French invasif, Old French invasif (“invasive”) (modern French invasif), from Medieval Latin invāsīvus, from Latin invāsus (“entered; invaded”) + -īvus. Invāsus is the perfect passive participle of invādō (“to enter; to invade”), from in- + vādō (“to go; to rush; to walk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weh₂dʰ- (“to go, proceed; to pass, traverse”)). The noun is derived from the adjective.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

invasive in the wild

An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment.
Invasive species
Since the 20th century, invasive species have become serious economic, social, and environmental threats worldwide.
Invasive species
Native to the southern United States and extreme northern Mexico, it is popular as a pet across the world, and is the most invasive chelonian.
Red-eared slider
Mechanical ventilation is termed invasive if it involves an instrument to create an airway that is placed inside the trachea.
Mechanical ventilation
For non-invasive ventilation in people who are conscious, face or nasal masks are used.
Mechanical ventilation

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the vādō family

invasive evade pervasive

invasive — used about once every 2,903 pages · #7,828 · point at the bar for the others

invasive species

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