perpetuation
Americannoun
-
the act of causing something to continue or go on happening.
The object of the sorority, among others, is the perpetuation of good fellowship, friendship, and sisterly love among its members.
-
the act of preserving something from extinction or oblivion.
I spent many months writing the biographies of my father and grandfather to aid in the perpetuation of their memory.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perpetuation
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin perpetuātiōn-, stem of perpetuātiō “a making uninterrupted, preservation”; see perpetuate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
Explanation
When you make something last or keep it going as long as you can, that's perpetuation. The perpetuation of your childhood memories is helped by looking at old photographs. The perpetuation of a family's genes happens when people have children, and the perpetuation of oppression occurs when one dictator after another seizes control of a country's government. When something is made to last longer or is continued, some kind of perpetuation is going on. Both the noun and related verb perpetuate come from a Latin root, perpetuus, which means "continuous or universal."
Vocabulary lists containing perpetuation
Sapiens
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On the Far Side of the Mountain
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A Light in the Darkness
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Perpetuation of plastic production and protecting environmental and human health are mutually exclusive.
From Salon • May 5, 2022
Something called the National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling in Jonesboro, Term., numbers over 800 members.
From Time Magazine Archive
The full title of the joint communication was On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties, and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Selection.
From Pioneers of Evolution from Thales to Huxley With an Intermediate Chapter on the Causes of Arrest of the Movement by Clodd, Edward
On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection 45 Washington, Captain.
From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various
He can himself be Divine, in the Desire and Perpetuation of Life.
From The Life Everlasting; a reality of romance by Corelli, Marie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
