perpetual

American  

[per-pech-oo-uhl] / pərˈpɛtʃ u əl /

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.

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noun

1. a hybrid rose that is perpetual.

2. a perennial plant.

perpetual British  

/ 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

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noun

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

2. a plant that blooms throughout the growing season

Related Words

See eternal.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of perpetual

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

Example Sentences

The cryptocurrency exchange Hyperliquid lists perpetual futures, a highly speculative flavor of derivatives, tracking West Texas Intermediate crude—the U.S. benchmark—and other commodities.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their various and perpetual children cannot distinguish between the progressive and the idiotic.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s perpetual threats without communication, without dialogue, without thresholds.”

From The Wall Street Journal

History reminds us big stand offs between London and Washington, such as the UK resisting American pressure to send troops to Vietnam, don't have to banish relations to a perpetual deep freeze.

From BBC

By his own admission, Daniel Smith exists in a state of perpetual annoyance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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