penetration

Penetration refers to entering or making your way through something. It's also a deep insight.

When something penetrates, it’s going through something else, so penetration is an example of this happening. You could talk about the penetration of a jacket by a knife, or the penetration of a fortress by an army. When a basketball team pierces the other team's defenses, it's called penetration. Also, in-depth perception or insight is called penetration. Just like physical penetration goes deep into something, mental penetration implies deep understanding of an idea or situation.

Definitions of penetration
  1. noun
    the act of entering into or through something
    “the penetration of upper management by women”
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    types:
    interpenetration, permeation
    mutual penetration; diffusion of each through the other
    market penetration
    the extent to which a product is recognized and bought by customers in a particular market
    type of:
    entering, entrance, entry, incoming, ingress
    the act of entering
  2. noun
    an attack that penetrates into enemy territory
    synonyms: incursion
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    types:
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    interpenetration
    the action of penetrating between or among
    breakthrough
    a penetration of a barrier such as an enemy's defense
    invasion
    the act of invading; the act of an army that invades for conquest or plunder
    infiltration
    a process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection)
    foray, maraud, raid
    a sudden short attack
    air attack, air raid
    an attack by armed planes on a surface target
    inroad
    an invasion or hostile attack
    swoop
    a very rapid raid
    type of:
    attack, onrush, onset, onslaught
    (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
  3. noun
    the ability to make way into or through something
    “the greater penetration of the new projectiles will result in greater injuries”
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    type of:
    ability
    the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
  4. noun
    the depth to which something penetrates (especially the depth reached by a projectile that hits a target)
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    type of:
    deepness, depth
    the extent downward or backward or inward
  5. noun
    the act of inserting the penis into a partner's vagina or anus
  6. noun
    clear or deep perception of a situation
    synonyms: insight
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    type of:
    perception
    knowledge gained by perceiving
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