French word

infiltrer

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃filtʁe/

Meaning

  • verbinfiltrate

Example

Il a réussi à s'infiltrer dans la fête sans être vu.

He managed to infiltrate the party without being seen.

Illustration for infiltrer (infiltrate)

More examples

Il a tenté de s'infiltrer par la porte arrière.

He tried to sneak in through the back door.

Core concept

A hidden presence passing through an outer layer and quietly spreading into the inside of a group, place, or system.

Common phrases

  • s'infiltrer discrètement

    sneak in discreetly

  • s'infiltrer par la porte arrière

    sneak in through the back door

Similar words

se faufiler: Slip quietly through a crowd or narrow space to get inside.
s'introduire: Enter a place or meeting while avoiding other people's attention.
entrer: Go inside a building, room, or other enclosed place.
pénétrer: Go deeply into the inside of something.

Definition in French

Faire entrer secrètement une personne, un objet ou une information dans un lieu, un groupe ou un système sans attirer l'attention.

Word origin

Infiltrer developed from Latin infiltrare, whose parts express movement into something through the image of liquid passing through a filter.

Usage tips

  • Infiltrer often has a serious military, intelligence, or cybersecurity tone, whereas se faufiler or se glisser suits many ordinary situations.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word