perpetuate

verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt How to pronounce perpetuate (audio)
perpetuated; perpetuating
Synonyms of perpetuate

transitive verb

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
perpetuate the species
perpetuation noun
perpetuator noun

Examples of perpetuate in a Sentence

He perpetuates the myth that his house is haunted. Fears about an epidemic are being perpetuated by the media.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Congress is moving to put more pressure on Sudan’s warring factions, as the three-year war perpetuates one of the globe’s worst humanitarian crises. Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 12 June 2026 Explaining why this misconception about aliens has perpetuated over the years involves major last-act spoilers for the movie. Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026 Some of it is made up, sure, and perpetuated by those of us keeping the rivalry alive. Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026 Once the Water received the payments, totaling more than $11,000, other participants would move up one level and be required to recruit new participants to fill the Fire position and perpetuate the scheme, federal prosecutors said. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for perpetuate

Word History

Etymology

Latin perpetuatus, past participle of perpetuare, from perpetuus

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perpetuate was in 1530

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perpetuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuate. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

perpetuate

verb
per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt How to pronounce perpetuate (audio)
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
perpetuation noun
perpetuator noun

Legal Definition

perpetuate

transitive verb
per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt How to pronounce perpetuate (audio)
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to preserve or make available (testimony) for later use at a trial by means of deposition especially when the evidence so gathered would be otherwise unavailable or lost

Note: Courts will not allow the perpetuation of testimony at a pretrial proceeding if it appears to be an attempt to fish for useful material.

perpetuation noun

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