perpetual

[ per-pech-oo-uhl ]

/ pərˈpɛtʃ u əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perpetual ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.

lasting an indefinitely long time: perpetual snow.

continuing or continued without intermission or interruption; ceaseless: a perpetual stream of visitors all day.

blooming almost continuously throughout the season or the year.

noun

a hybrid rose that is perpetual.

a perennial plant.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

perpend, perpendicular, perpent, perpetrate, perpetrator, perpetual, perpetual adoration, perpetual calendar, perpetual check, perpetual debenture, perpetual inventory

Origin of perpetual

1300–50; late Middle English perpetuall < Latin perpetuālis permanent, equivalent to perpetu(us) uninterrupted (per- per- + pet-, base of petere to seek, reach for + -uus deverbal adj. suffix) + -ālis -al¹; replacing Middle English perpetuel < Middle French < Latin as above

SYNONYMS FOR perpetual

1 permanent, enduring. See eternal.

3 continuous, incessant, constant, unending, uninterrupted.

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ANTONYMS FOR perpetual

1 temporary.

3 discontinuous.

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Related forms

per·pet·u·al·i·ty, per·pet·u·al·ness, nounper·pet·u·al·ly, adverbnon·per·pet·u·al, adjectivenon·per·pet·u·al·ly, adverb

qua·si-per·pet·u·al, adjectivequa·si-per·pet·u·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perpetual

But millions of rules result in perpetual error, and, as a terminal side effect, make leadership and accomplishment illegal.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Big discounts and cheap credit keep them coming back for more; and keep millions in perpetual debt.
Christmas Is the New Subprime|Doug McIntyre|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hollande is ‘the king of doublespeak, ambiguity, and perpetual lies’
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex|Lizzie Crocker|November 28, 2014|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.
Megabanks Have The Federal Prison System Locked Up|Center for Public Integrity|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Some people upload content to Facebook for the perpetual online access it provides.
Porn Stars Want to Know: Why Did Facebook Delete Me?|Aurora Snow|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But we who do the old things are fed by nature with a perpetual infancy.
The Napoleon of Notting Hill|Gilbert K. Chesterton
I was in a state of perpetual aggravation; and I often wonder that I wasn't soured for life at that time.
Cashel Byron's Profession|George Bernard Shaw
Some perpetual indignation seemed smouldering in the knitted brow and protruding upper lip.
Hypatia|Charles Kingsley
The perpetual hum of voices sounded like the noise made by a thousand swarming bees.
Across China on Foot|Edwin Dingle
It was near the Clerk's office, between which and the bar there was a perpetual passage of the members.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)|Thomas Hart Benton

British Dictionary definitions for perpetual

perpetual

/ (pəˈpɛtjʊəl) /

adjective

(usually prenominal) eternal; permanent

(usually prenominal) seemingly ceaseless because often repeatedyour perpetual complaints

horticulture blooming throughout the growing season or year

noun

(of a crop plant) continually producing edible parts: perpetual spinach

a plant that blooms throughout the growing season

Derived Forms

perpetually, adverb

Word Origin for perpetual

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012