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

Other Word Forms

• perpetually adverb
• perpetuality noun
• perpetualness noun
• nonperpetual adjective
• quasi-perpetual 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

It’s a perpetual money machine for currency traders, who arbitrage the fat interest-rate differential.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Recycling is perpetual, you can keep the metals in a loop and bring them back recurrently,” he said.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Swift's sales figures are all the more impressive because album sales elsewhere in the industry are in a state of perpetual decline.

Read more on BBC

As if “Boogie Nights” wasn’t audacious enough, Anderson boldly followed it up with a film of naked vulnerability: an emotional weather report unafraid to risk embarrassment in examining a perpetual dark night of the soul.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He quickly rose to become a top organizer and leader in the party’s perpetual street fighting with political opponents, especially socialists and communists.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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