perpetually
adverb
per·pet·u·al·ly
pər-ˈpe-chə-wə-lē 
-chə-lē;
-ˈpech-wə-lē
: in a perpetual or continuous manner
A guardroom was established to each side of the prisoner's casemate, in which a lamp burned perpetually.—
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn WarrenBeta-blockers can make you tired, interfere with circulation (making your hands and feet perpetually cold) …—Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports… the tusks of prehistoric mammoths, which had been preserved in the perpetually frozen soil.—William C. Ketchum, Jr.
William C. Ketchum, Jr.
Synonyms
Examples of perpetually in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Know someone who feels perpetually drawn to America’s most beautiful spaces?
—Joni Sweet, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Once the Duke of Wellington shows up at Waterloo, the fact that he’s played with such supercilious glee by the perpetually sneering Rupert Everett comes as a welcome relief.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
On most days, the map will remain mostly unchanged, but keeping the lines from moving requires its own violent dance, one perpetually in danger of being thrown off balance.
—Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Steve Aoki has been a household name for the last two decades, but that hasn’t stopped him from perpetually experimenting — bounding from one sound to the next — and challenging how his music is consumed, understood, and memorialized.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023
In 2023, Dontae was twenty-three, the father of three children, a tall, serene adult, perpetually lean despite his appetite for his grandmother’s mac and cheese.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023
Best Classic Peacoat Mackintosh Dalton Wool Blend Peacoat Mackintosh may be most well-known for its raincoats—an innately British boast given the perpetually drizzly conditions there.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2023
Early reactions point toward the perpetually fan cast Idris Elba, or even Jason Momoa, whose breakout role as Khal Drogo could be a great starting point, with a slight uptick in verbosity.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023
Across languages and throughout time, the term slang has evolved to mean a subversive lexicon, purposefully unintelligible to whoever’s in charge, perpetually shape-shifting against the mainstream.
—Caleb Madison, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2023
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Joni Sweet, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Once the Duke of Wellington shows up at Waterloo, the fact that he’s played with such supercilious glee by the perpetually sneering Rupert Everett comes as a welcome relief.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
On most days, the map will remain mostly unchanged, but keeping the lines from moving requires its own violent dance, one perpetually in danger of being thrown off balance.
—Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Steve Aoki has been a household name for the last two decades, but that hasn’t stopped him from perpetually experimenting — bounding from one sound to the next — and challenging how his music is consumed, understood, and memorialized.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023
In 2023, Dontae was twenty-three, the father of three children, a tall, serene adult, perpetually lean despite his appetite for his grandmother’s mac and cheese.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023
Best Classic Peacoat Mackintosh Dalton Wool Blend Peacoat Mackintosh may be most well-known for its raincoats—an innately British boast given the perpetually drizzly conditions there.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2023
Early reactions point toward the perpetually fan cast Idris Elba, or even Jason Momoa, whose breakout role as Khal Drogo could be a great starting point, with a slight uptick in verbosity.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023
Across languages and throughout time, the term slang has evolved to mean a subversive lexicon, purposefully unintelligible to whoever’s in charge, perpetually shape-shifting against the mainstream.
—Caleb Madison, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perpetually.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of perpetually was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near perpetually
Cite this Entry
“Perpetually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetually. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on perpetually
Nglish: Translation of perpetually for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of perpetually for Arabic Speakers
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