What does "pervious" mean?
Often followed by to: capable of being penetrated by another body or substance, such as air or water; admitting passage.
Pervious
/ˈpɜː.vɪ.əs/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Often followed by to: capable of being penetrated by another body or substance, such as air or water; admitting passage.
- Grammar: pervious is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: accessible, amenable, approachable, attainable.
- Useful contrasts: impermeable, impervious.
- Usage evidence: If looking up to God, or dovvne to us, / Thou finde that any vvay is pervious, / Tvvixt heav'n and earth, […]
How to use "pervious"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pervious" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pervious" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pervious" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pervious" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pervious" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accessible" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pervious", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Often followed by to: capable of being penetrated by another body or substance, such as air or water; admitting passage.
"Near-synonym: porous"
- 2 Capable of being seen through; open to being examined; patent, unconcealed. figuratively
"[I]n their [i.e., the Egyptians'] ceremonies they uſually made three acclamations to the unknovvn Darkneſs; that is, to God, vvhoſe ſecrets are pervious to no eye, vvhoſe dvvelling is in a light that is not to be diſcerned, vvhoſe myſteries are not to be underſtood by us, and vvhoſe Sacraments are objects of faith and vvonder, but not to be diſordered by the miſtaking, undiſcerning eye of people that are curious to ask after vvhat they ſhall never underſtand."
- 3 Capable of being penetrated mentally; intelligible, understandable. figuratively
"[…] Saint Auguſtine for ſharpe inſight, and concluſive judgement, in expoſition of places of Scripture, vvhich he alvvaies makes ſo liquid, and pervious, […] hath ſcarce been equalled therein, by any of the VVriters in the Church of God, […]"
- 4 Of a person, etc.: susceptible to being influenced by arguments, ideas, etc.; impressionable, tractable. figuratively
- 5 Capable of penetrating or permeating. obsolete
"The bodies of the Saints, […] have an agility to move from place to place vvith ſpeed and ſubtility like light; to have their vvay free and pervious through all places, and can penetrate vvhereſoever they pleaſe."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Of a body structure (especially the nostril of a bird): having a hole, perforate; also, wide open. obsolete
"The noſtrils are very large, and pervious: the vvhole plumage is duſky, daſhed vvith purple and green: legs of a dirty fleſh-color: clavvs black."
Adjective
- 1 admitting of passage or entrance wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"If looking up to God, or dovvne to us, / Thou finde that any vvay is pervious, / Tvvixt heav'n and earth, […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pervious"?
Common synonyms include: accessible, amenable, approachable, attainable, available, come-at-able.
How do you use "pervious" in a sentence?
If looking up to God, or dovvne to us, / Thou finde that any vvay is pervious, / Tvvixt heav'n and earth, […]
How do you pronounce "pervious"?
Pronounced /ˈpɜː.vɪ.əs/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin pervius (“having a passage through; passable, penetrable, traversable”) + English -ous (suffix denoting the presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance)). Pervius is derived from per- (prefix denoting doing something all the way through or entirely) + via (“road, street; method, way; (figurative) course, route”) + -us (suffix forming adjectives)