persistence
Americannoun
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the act or fact of persisting.
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the quality of being persistent.
You have persistence, I'll say that for you.
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continued existence or occurrence.
the persistence of smallpox.
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the continuance of an effect after its cause is removed.
noun
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the quality of persisting; tenacity
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the act of persisting; continued effort or existence
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the continuance of an effect after the cause of it has stopped
persistence of vision
Synonym Usage
See perseverance.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of persistence
Explanation
Persistence is the ability to stick with something. If you practice the violin for over a year in order to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" perfectly, that's persistence! Persistence can also mean something that lasts for a very long time. The persistence of bullying, despite years of efforts by the school, has frustrated many parents. Bed bugs are known for their persistence. Despite near eradication in the 1950s, they are back and harder to eliminate than ever.
Vocabulary lists containing persistence
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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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.
These domains help organize DNA into broad sections within the cell, and their persistence suggests that some features of genome architecture are strongly conserved.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
That line would be significantly lower if there were greater persistence in mutual funds’ ranks in the yearly performance scoreboards.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Ms. Hannah-Jones had assumed that her own affluence, status and persistence would make the schools better.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Charity Breast Cancer Now said that while campaigners' "persistence paid off", thousands of people have missed out on access to Enhertu and many have died.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
An hour later, when the four of us were still seated on the sofas, I finally came to terms with their physical persistence.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
