self-perpetuating
[self-per-pech-oo-ey-ting, self-]
- continuing oneself in office, rank, etc., beyond the normal limit.
- capable of indefinite continuation.
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Origin of self-perpetuating
First recorded in 1815–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for self-perpetuating
Contemporary Examples
Long-term unemployment isn't special just because it's longer; it's special because it's self-perpetuating.
In war and in peace, inevitable, self-perpetuating economies arise around the smuggling of illicit goods.
Independent voters increasingly see both parties as captives of corrupt, self-serving and self-perpetuating political machinery.
The pendulum swing of politics has a funny way of self-perpetuating.
Historical Examples
They were self-perpetuating, and could only be removed by the General Assembly.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of VirginiaDorothy M. Torpey
The nature of habit is to be assertive, insistent, self-perpetuating.
Human Nature and ConductJohn Dewey
The system was self-perpetuating, and revolution couldn't change it.
The DictatorMilton Lesser
They are all self-perpetuating, yet always passing into new forms.
I Walked in ArdenJack Crawford
If the plan makes no provision for bad years, it cannot be self-perpetuating.
The Psychology of ManagementL. M. Gilbreth
self-perpetuating
- (of machine, emotion, idea, etc) continuing or prevailing without any external agency or intervention
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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