invasive.

1. Entering or spreading into an environment or area in a way that disrupts existing conditions.

2. Involving entry into the body, especially through an incision or insertion, as part of a procedure.

3. Intruding on privacy, autonomy or personal boundaries.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• invasive species
• invasive growth

On the page

The report called the species invasive after documenting its spread and effects on the local ecosystem.

Invasive growth altered the tissue’s ordinary boundaries in the clinical account.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / sci-fi / gothic. Forms: Comparative more invasive; superlative most invasive where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: hazard description, speculative setting, bodily condition, scene explanation. Disciplines: genre writing, science-informed description, clinical and safety vocabulary. Commonness: moderately common.