French word

propager

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁopaʒe/

Meaning

  • verbspread

Example

Il ne faut pas propager de rumeurs.

You must not spread rumors.

Illustration for propager (spread)

More examples

Les réseaux sociaux peuvent propager une idée très vite.

Social media can spread an idea very quickly.

Core concept

A message, seed, or germ leaves one source and reaches a widening circle of people or places.

Common phrases

  • propager une rumeur

    spread a rumor

  • propager une idée

    spread an idea

Similar words

répandre: To spread a rumor or liquid over a wide area.
diffuser: To broadcast information, sound, or video to many people.
transmettre: To pass information or a disease to another person through contact.

Definition in French

Transmettre et faire se répandre quelque chose (information, idée, maladie) depuis une source pour qu'il touche d'autres personnes ou lieux.

Word origin

French propager is a learned borrowing from Latin propagare, meaning to extend or multiply, which developed into the sense of spreading ideas, information, and disease.

Usage tips

  • Propager is more common in formal or technical contexts, while répandre is often more natural in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • disseminateverb
  • transmitverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word