sempiternal

American  

[sem-pi-tur-nl] / ˌsɛm pɪˈtɜr nl /

adjective

Literary.

1. everlasting; eternal.

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sempiternal British  

/ ˌsɛmpɪˈtɜːnɪtɪ, ˌsɛmpɪˈtɜːnəl /

adjective

1. literary everlasting; eternal

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Other Word Forms

• sempiternally
  adverb
• sempiternity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sempiternal

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin sempiternālis, equivalent to Latin sempitern ( us ) everlasting semp ( er ) always + -i- -i- + -ternus suffix of temporal adjectives; see eterne) + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

When something is sempiternal, it seems like it's been around forever, like the rise and fall of the tide on the beach, or your love of chocolate. Sempiternal is useful for describing something endless, especially when you want to use an impressive word. Although it's often used the same way you'd use the word eternal, in philosophy there is a distinction between those terms. Eternal implies something that is infinite outside the bounds of time, like God, while sempiternal is a more earthbound way to talk about "forever." It's a bit of a redundant word formed from the Latin words meaning "always" and "eternal."

Example Sentences

Their fourth record, Sempiternal, and fifth, That's The Spirit, pushed them further into the mainstream, with the albums peaking at number three and two in the Official Albums Chart respectively.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026