Also means
to spread rapidly
Usage Note
Proliferare takes essere as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo, because it describes an intransitive process of spreading: i casi sono proliferati ('the cases have proliferated'). It is commonly used in journalistic and scientific language for unchecked growth — of bacteria, websites, regulations, or misinformation. The related noun is proliferazione.
Examples
"Le startup tecnologiche hanno proliferato negli ultimi anni."
Natural Translation
Tech startups have proliferated in recent years.
Related Words
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