penetration: Meaning and Definition of

pen•e•tra•tion

1. the act or power of penetrating.
2. mental acuteness, discernment, or insight: a scholar of rare penetration.
3. the obtaining of a share of a market for some commodity or service.
4. the extension, usually peaceful, of the influence of one nation or culture into the affairs of another.
5. a military attack that penetrates into enemy territory.
6. the depth to which a projectile goes into the target.
7. the measure of relative depth of field of a telescope or microscope, esp. a binocular microscope.