浸透

• Reading: しんとう
• Romaji: shintō
• Kanji breakdown: 浸 (shin/hita) — to soak, immerse; 透 (tō/su) — to penetrate, pass through
• Pronunciation: /ɕiɴtoː/

Meaning

Permeation; penetration; spread. The gradual diffusion of something into a substance or group.

Used both literally (liquid soaking into material) and figuratively (ideas, values, or habits spreading through a population). 浸透する is the する-verb form. Common in social commentary about how trends, ideologies, or technologies spread through society.

Examples

1. SDGsの理念が企業文化に浸透しつつある。 The principles of the SDGs are gradually permeating corporate culture.
2. 水が岩の隙間に浸透して地下水を形成する。 Water seeps into the gaps in rock and forms groundwater.
3. スマートフォンが社会全体に浸透した結果、生活様式が変わった。 As smartphones have spread throughout society as a whole, lifestyles have changed.

Usage Guide

Context: social analysis, science, business, culture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 浸 (to soak, immerse) and 透 (to penetrate, pass through). Together they describe something soaking through and passing into another substance or group.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal