perpetual

[ per-pech-oo-uhl ]

adjective

1. continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.

   Synonyms: enduring, permanent

   Antonyms: temporary

2. lasting an indefinitely long time:

   perpetual snow.

3. continuing or continued without intermission or interruption; ceaseless:

   a perpetual stream of visitors all day.

   Synonyms: uninterrupted, unending, constant, incessant, continuous

   Antonyms: discontinuous

4. blooming almost continuously throughout the season or the year.

noun

1. a hybrid rose that is perpetual.
2. a perennial plant.

perpetual

/ pəˈpɛtjʊəl /

adjective

1. usually prenominal eternal; permanent
2. usually prenominal seemingly ceaseless because often repeated

   your perpetual complaints

3. horticulture blooming throughout the growing season or year

noun

1. (of a crop plant) continually producing edible parts: perpetual spinach
2. a plant that blooms throughout the growing season

Derived Forms

• perˈpetually, adverb

Other Words From

• per·pet·u·al·i·ty per·pet·u·al·ness noun
• per·pet·u·al·ly adverb
• non·per·pet·u·al adjective
• qua·si-per·pet·u·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perpetual¹

First recorded in 1300–50; late Middle English perpetuall, from Latin perpetuālis “permanent, universal, general,” equivalent to perpetu(us) “continuous, uninterrupted” ( per- “through, thoroughly” + pet-, base of petere “to seek, reach for” + -uus adjective suffix derived from a verb) + -ālis adjective suffix; replacing Middle English perpetuel, from Middle French, from Latin as above; per-, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of perpetual¹

C14: via Old French from Latin perpetuālis universal, from perpes continuous, from per- (thoroughly) + petere to go towards

Synonym Study

See eternal.

Example Sentences

We were in a perpetual state of anxiety because of how challenging is was for us to be in public.

From Washington Post

News organizations’ perpetual quests to stifle their journalists’ opinions — whether uttered on Twitter, at a conference, or in a recorded chat published by Project Veritas — is an Sisyphean struggle.

From Washington Post

A way of being a perpetual passenger, insisting you’re not equipped to drive.

From Washington Post

That relentless surge has forced Wall Street into a perpetual game of catch-up, with analysts’ average price target still far below the current stock price.

From Fortune

Third, our tendency to avoid dealing with negative emotions puts people in a perpetual cycle of ignoring unpleasant feelings, which amplifies stress and the risk of emotional health problems.

From Popular-Science

But millions of rules result in perpetual error, and, as a terminal side effect, make leadership and accomplishment illegal.

From The Daily Beast

Big discounts and cheap credit keep them coming back for more; and keep millions in perpetual debt.

From The Daily Beast

Hollande is ‘the king of doublespeak, ambiguity, and perpetual lies’

From The Daily Beast

On Wall Street, Bank of America plays a perpetual second fiddle to JPMorgan Chase Co., the only U.S. bank that holds more assets.

From The Daily Beast

Some people upload content to Facebook for the perpetual online access it provides.

From The Daily Beast

The inheritance of the children of sinners shall perish, and with their posterity shall be a perpetual reproach.

From Project Gutenberg

He lived in a perpetual fear and danger of discovery; and discovery now was but another name, for poison—prison—death.

From Project Gutenberg

He shows that under free individual competition there is a perpetual waste of energy.

From Project Gutenberg

The exercise of confessing the name of God, corresponds to that of joining to him in a perpetual covenant.

From Project Gutenberg

We flocked round the duke, and hailed his first conquest as a promise of perpetual success.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ceaseless
• constant
• continued
• continuous
• endless
• enduring
• eternal
• incessant
• infinite
• interminable
• never-ending
• perennial
• permanent
• persistent
• recurring
• unceasing
• unending