in·va·sive
in-ˈvā-siv 
-ziv
1
: tending to spread especially in a quick or aggressive manner: such as
a
of a non-native organism
: growing and dispersing easily usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems
It will be the second Australian insect released to thwart melaleuca, one of many exponentially spreading invasive plants that out-compete native Florida species, monopolizing wetlands and natural areas.—
Neil Santaniello
Neil SantanielloScientists say more than 150 invasive species have entered the Great Lakes, multiplying rapidly and feeding on native species or outcompeting with them for food.—Sophia Taren
Sophia Taren
b(1)
of cancer cells
: tending to infiltrate surrounding healthy tissue
… this procedure preserves the architecture of the tissue sample, which is vital for determining whether tumor cells are invasive.—Andrew A. Skolnick
Andrew A. Skolnick
(2)
of a pathogenic microorganism or disease
: disseminating from a localized area throughout the body
sepsis association with invasive bacteria
invasive streptococcal infection
2
: involving entry into the living body (as by incision or by insertion of an instrument)
invasive diagnostic techniques
3
: of, relating to, or characterized by military aggression
4
: tending to infringe
invasiveness
noun
: an organism that is not native to the place where found and tends to grow and spread easily usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems
Zebra mussels are the latest in a series of aquatic invasives to threaten Texas' inland waters.—Shannon Tompkins
Shannon TompkinsExamples of invasive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2023
It can also be implanted with minimally invasive surgery, so doctors can deliver high doses of IL-2 directly to the tumors.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 25 Aug. 2022
The only reliable way to diagnose endometriosis in Australia is through invasive laparoscopic surgery.
—Lucia Osborne-Crowley, refinery29.com, 26 July 2022
Ordinarily, oncologists would give cancer drugs before a mastectomy to shrink the tumor, allowing for a less invasive surgery.
—New York Times, 23 July 2022
And this biological sample can be easily collected without invasive surgery—using menstrual cups or specially designed external menstrual collection pads.
—Christine N. Metz, Scientific American, 13 May 2022
The damage to his internal organs from the likely car collision would have required invasive surgery.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2022
Musk’s bet is that the more invasive surgery coupled with greater computing capabilities will help Neuralink’s hardware achieve better results and restore more functions in humans than competing products.
—Ashlee Vance, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2022
Neuralink is also trying to improve on existing BCIs that require clunky setups and invasive brain surgery; instead, the company’s sewing machine-like robot could install electrodes by punching them into the brain through a small hole in the skull.
—WIRED, 1 Dec. 2022
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Volunteers learn how to maintain areas to keep them free of invasives.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024
Among other things, invasives directly diminish the outdoor experience and the contribution of more than $1 billion a year that fishing, boating and other marine activities contribute to the state economy.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024
Learn about native and invasive plants in the park, and which invasives can be used in a tasty salad.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2024
Long before any of these modern invasives, people went to great lengths in the 1930s to get rid of native alligator gar with a custom boat called the Electric Gar Destroyer that would zap the fish with high voltage.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 25 Oct. 2023
Weed Warriors recognize that some invasives, spread by animals who consume their seeds or people who unwittingly transport them on their clothing simply by walking in the woods, can never be eradicated.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
In areas that have been recently restored or are currently under restoration, the team has placed rodent-specific traps in an effort to control the invasives.
—Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2023
Help remove invasives: The city of Shaker Heights is seeking residents to volunteer on Celebrate National Public Lands Day by helping to remove invasives from the city’s Grow Not Mow Site No. 2, at the corner of Lee Road and South Park Boulevard.
—cleveland, 19 Aug. 2023
Adjective
On this hike learn about the origins of invasive species, as well as their impact on native plants and animals and their habitats.
—The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2023
It can also be implanted with minimally invasive surgery, so doctors can deliver high doses of IL-2 directly to the tumors.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 25 Aug. 2022
The only reliable way to diagnose endometriosis in Australia is through invasive laparoscopic surgery.
—Lucia Osborne-Crowley, refinery29.com, 26 July 2022
Ordinarily, oncologists would give cancer drugs before a mastectomy to shrink the tumor, allowing for a less invasive surgery.
—New York Times, 23 July 2022
And this biological sample can be easily collected without invasive surgery—using menstrual cups or specially designed external menstrual collection pads.
—Christine N. Metz, Scientific American, 13 May 2022
The damage to his internal organs from the likely car collision would have required invasive surgery.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2022
Musk’s bet is that the more invasive surgery coupled with greater computing capabilities will help Neuralink’s hardware achieve better results and restore more functions in humans than competing products.
—Ashlee Vance, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2022
Neuralink is also trying to improve on existing BCIs that require clunky setups and invasive brain surgery; instead, the company’s sewing machine-like robot could install electrodes by punching them into the brain through a small hole in the skull.
—WIRED, 1 Dec. 2022
Noun
Advertisement The intensely alkaline soil of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, a remote grassland east of San Luis Obispo, also deters invasives from prospering, according to Dudney.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Volunteers learn how to maintain areas to keep them free of invasives.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024
Among other things, invasives directly diminish the outdoor experience and the contribution of more than $1 billion a year that fishing, boating and other marine activities contribute to the state economy.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024
Learn about native and invasive plants in the park, and which invasives can be used in a tasty salad.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2024
Long before any of these modern invasives, people went to great lengths in the 1930s to get rid of native alligator gar with a custom boat called the Electric Gar Destroyer that would zap the fish with high voltage.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 25 Oct. 2023
Weed Warriors recognize that some invasives, spread by animals who consume their seeds or people who unwittingly transport them on their clothing simply by walking in the woods, can never be eradicated.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
In areas that have been recently restored or are currently under restoration, the team has placed rodent-specific traps in an effort to control the invasives.
—Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2023
Help remove invasives: The city of Shaker Heights is seeking residents to volunteer on Celebrate National Public Lands Day by helping to remove invasives from the city’s Grow Not Mow Site No. 2, at the corner of Lee Road and South Park Boulevard.
—cleveland, 19 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'invasive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near invasive
Cite this Entry
“Invasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invasive. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
invasive
adjective
in·va·sive
in-ˈvā-siv
-ziv
: tending to spread
especially
: tending to invade healthy tissue
invasive cancer cells
Medical Definition
invasive
adjective
in·va·sive
-siv, -ziv
1
: tending to spread
2
: involving entry into the living body (as by incision or by insertion of an instrument)
invasive diagnostic techniques
invasiveness
noun
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