What does it mean to pervade?

To pervade means to spread throughout or be present in every part of something. This concept aligns closely with the idea of permeating, as both terms describe the action of something moving through or saturating an environment or medium. For example, when an aroma pervades a room, it indicates that the scent is not just concentrated in one spot but is instead dispersed throughout the entire space, affecting the atmosphere.

In comparison, while absorbing refers to the process of soaking up or taking in substances, including liquids or ideas, it does not fully capture the breadth of spreading throughout an area. Similarly, to dissolve involves the process of a solid becoming incorporated into a liquid, which implies a change of state rather than a spreading presence. Finally, to evaporate specifically refers to the transition of a substance from a liquid to a gas, which is a different process entirely and is not related to the idea of spreading or permeating. Thus, the term pervade is best captured by the term permeate.