Some things turn up wherever you look. These words describe how widely something is found (ubiquitous, prevalent, universal), how it spreads (pervasive, rampant, permeate, saturate, diffuse), which kind wins out (predominant) and something that belongs to one place (endemic).
Key idea
Found everywhere: ubiquitous, universal. Common: prevalent; predominant (the most common or strongest). Spreading through: pervasive, permeate, saturate (to the very full), diffuse (spread out) and rampant (out of control). Always found in one place: endemic.
The ten words
Common mistake
endemic (always present in one place) differs from epidemic (a sudden spread). diffuse (spread out) is not defuse (calm a situation).
| word | how far it reaches | you might hear |
|---|---|---|
| ubiquitous | everywhere you look | ubiquitous phones |
| universal | to everyone, everything | a universal sign |
| prevalent | common, widespread | prevalent in winter |
| predominant | the most common or strongest | the predominant color |
| pervasive | spread through every part | a pervasive smell |
| rampant | spreading out of control | rampant weeds |
| endemic | always present in one place | endemic to the island |
| permeate | to spread all the way through | the smell permeated the house |
| saturate | to soak to the very full | saturated soil |
| diffuse | to spread out widely | the light diffused |
Two pairs to keep apart. Endemic means always present in one place or group, while an epidemic is a sudden outbreak that spreads widely and then fades. And diffuse (spread out) is not defuse (calm a tense situation): a lamp diffuses light; a friend defuses an argument.