perseveration

[per-sev-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of perseverating.

2. Psychiatry.,  the pathological, persistent repetition of a word, gesture, or act, often associated with brain damage or schizophrenia.

perseveration

/ pɜːˌsɛvəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the tendency for an impression, idea, or feeling to dissipate only slowly and to recur during subsequent experiences

2. an inability to change one's method of working when transferred from one task to another

Word History and Origins

Origin of perseveration¹

1605–15 in sense “perseverance”; persevere + -ation, or < Latin perseverātiōn-, stem of persevērātiō

Example Sentences

Durvasula added that "stubbornness could be viewed as a form of perseveration, again, an executive function in the brain."

From Salon

Instead, by a principle you might call the perseveration of enmity, a new population stepped in to take up the slack: mostly middle-class Protestants from other suburbs now mixing with ours at a new school.

From New York Times

Your hesitation and his perseveration suggest the emotional health of your marriage warrants a closer look.

From Washington Post

Mr. Bruck seeded his speech with words like “abnormal,” “irrationality,” “senselessness,” “delusional,” “obsession” and “perseveration,” a psychiatric term referring to the uncontrollable repetition of a particular response.

From New York Times

Psychologists call stubborn and irrational persistence in repeating an act or behavior “perseveration,” defined as the attempt to overcome past failures by trying again at the same task.

From Salon

Related Words

• litany 
• recurrence 
• reiteration 
• repeat 
• rhythm 

When To Use

What does perseveration mean?

Perseveration is the act of repeating something, such as words or actions, over and over again.Perseveration is used both in a general sense and in the more specific contexts of psychology and speech pathology. In this sense, the act of perseveration is the persistent repetition of a word, gesture, or act. This can be the result of a brain injury or a condition like schizophrenia.The verb form or perseveration is perseverate.Example: I’m frustrated by the amount of perseveration it takes just to get the students to follow simple rules.