Meanings
plural infiltrations
- countableuncountableThe act or process of infiltrating, as of water into a porous substance, or of a fluid into the cells of an organ or part of the body.
- countableuncountablesoil sciencegeographyprocess by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.
- countableuncountableThe substance which has entered the pores or cavities of a body.
calcareous infiltrations filling the cavities
1784, Richard Kirwan, Elements of Mineralogy - countableuncountableThe act of secretly entering a physical location and/or organization.
No one should be under any illusions about the objective of the Communist Party leadership: it’s long-term, systematic infiltration of social organisations, media and government. By the time China’s infiltration of Australia is readily apparent, it will be too late.
2019, Peter Hartcher, “Power and Paranoia: Why the Chinese government aggressively pushes beyond its borders”, in The Sydney Morning Herald
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latininfiltrātiōnem
- Middle Englishinfiltracioun
- Englishinfiltration
From Middle English infiltracioun, from Medieval Latin infiltrātiōnem, infiltrātiō. By surface analysis, infiltrat(e) + -ion.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian филтрат, процеждане
- филтрат (filtrat)substance
- процеждане (proceždane)act or process of infiltrating
- просмукване (prosmukvane)act or process of infiltrating
Czech infiltrace
- infiltraceact or process of infiltrating
Dutch infiltratie, infiltratie
- infiltratieentering secretly
- infiltratieact or process of infiltrating
Finnish soluttautuminen
- soluttautuminenentering secretly
French infiltration, infiltration
- infiltrationsubstance
- infiltrationentering secretly
- infiltrationact or process of infiltrating
German Infiltration, Infiltration
- Infiltrationentering secretly
- Infiltrationact or process of infiltrating
Greek διείσδυση
- διείσδυση (dieísdysi)entering secretly
Hindi घुसपैठ, घुसपैठ
- घुसपैठ (ghuspaiṭh)entering secretly
- घुसपैठ (ghuspaiṭh)act or process of infiltrating
Hungarian beszivárgás, beépülés
- beszivárgásentering secretly
- beépülésentering secretly
- víz beszivárgásaact or process of infiltrating
- beszivárgásact or process of infiltrating
Italian infiltrazione
- infiltrazioneentering secretly
Japanese 潜入
- 潜入 (sennyū)entering secretly
Korean 잠입
- 잠입 (jamip)entering secretly
Persian نفوذ
- نفوذ (nofuz)entering secretly
Spanish filtración, infiltración
- filtraciónsubstance
- infiltraciónentering secretly
- filtraciónact or process of infiltrating
Swedish infiltration
- infiltrationentering secretly
Ukrainian інфільтра́ція, інфільтра́ція
- інфільтра́ція (infilʹtrácija)entering secretly
- інфільтра́ція (infilʹtrácija)act or process of infiltrating
Cite this entry
infiltration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infiltration
“infiltration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infiltration. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “infiltration,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infiltration.
Source: infiltration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.