perpetually
Americanadverb
-
forever or for an indefinitely long time.
It is best to think of any software licensed in this way as perpetually licensed.
We seem to be locked perpetually in the past.
-
without intermission or interruption; continually.
The library received five more laptops to relieve the pressure on their perpetually busy media loan desk.
-
with continued recurrence; regularly or repeatedly: I'm the girl who loses pens constantly, forgets about quizzes in math, and is perpetually late.
The city’s public schools, particularly in working-class neighborhoods, are perpetually understaffed.
I'm the girl who loses pens constantly, forgets about quizzes in math, and is perpetually late.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of perpetually
Explanation
Use the adverb perpetually if something is never, ever going to stop doing what it's doing, like your perpetually chattering cousin. Perpetually comes from the adjective perpetual, which comes from the Latin for "never stopping." Although there might be some things that might exist perpetually, like the universe (hopefully), we usually use perpetually for things that just feel like they're never going to end. If the coffee shop you go to is perpetually playing the same album, bring them a new one. A good synonym is incessantly.
Vocabulary lists containing perpetually
"Common Sense," Vocabulary from the pamphlet
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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Lyddie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Perpetually in the Belchers’ orbit is Teddy — handyman, loyal customer and Bob’s best friend.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025
Perpetually happy, according to family members and friends, he worked at Reece Trucking & Excavating in Tulalip.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2024
Perpetually confident Castor conceded there is no idealized scenario.
From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2021
Perpetually angry and snarling, Cerberus acted as the guardian of the underworld.
From The Guardian • Jun. 15, 2020
Perpetually it was deluded by a sensation of solid ground which immediately slipped from under its feet.
From Sir Walter Ralegh A Biography by Stebbing, W. (William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
