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Definition of perpetual
1a : continuing forever : everlasting perpetual motionb (1) : valid for all time a perpetual right (2) : holding something (such as an office) for life or for an unlimited time
2 : occurring continually : indefinitely long-continued perpetual problems
3 : blooming continuously throughout the season
perpetually
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Examples of perpetual in a Sentence
As always, I was struck by how the core values of the military—service and discipline, both physical and intellectual—are so different from the perpetual American Mardi Gras. —Joe Klein, Time, 29 Aug. 2005
Because Hunter had been a perpetual Peter Pan, accepting the bleak reality of his death came hard. —Douglas Brinkley, Rolling Stone, 22 Sept. 2005
He's addicted to the perpetual flux of the information networks. He craves his next data fix. He's a speed freak, an info junkie. —David Brooks, Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2001
Only after I had built to the emotional peroration culminating in the word “astonishing” was I at last sufficiently unastonished by the force of my feelings to be able to put together a couple of hours of sleep—or something resembling sleep, for, even half out of it, I was a biography in perpetual motion, memory to the marrow of my bones. —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
The region is in a state of perpetual war.
He seems to have a perpetual grin on his face.
the perpetual demands of parenthood
Recent Examples of perpetual from the Web
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Where Possingham finds clarity in careful cost-benefit analysis, Perlman functions in a perpetual race against time.
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In both the physical and the digital world, parenting is a perpetual lesson in letting go, a daily affirmation that control is an illusion.
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Allen’s long, ascetic face, with narrow eyes and raised eyebrows, lends him an expression of perpetual seriousness that belies his sardonic good humor.
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Keep chasing wheels, and may the perpetual light shine upon you, Casey Saunders.
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That’s the Walter Jones Approach to Optimism Season, named after the perpetual holdout at left tackle in Seattle.
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The wind rose, the nerves arrived and the USGA’s perpetual fascination with par was rewarded once again.
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That’s a higher yield than where any other government or corporate dollar debt due in 80 years or more is trading, according to data compiled by Bloomberg that excluded perpetual securities.
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Bloch remembers those days as a time of perpetual insecurity and fear.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perpetual'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of perpetual
Middle English perpetuel, from Anglo-French, from Latin perpetuus uninterrupted, from per- through + petere to go to — more at feather
Synonym Discussion of perpetual
PERPETUAL Defined for English Language Learners
perpetual
playDefinition of perpetual for English Language Learners
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: continuing forever or for a very long time without stopping
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: happening all the time or very often
PERPETUAL Defined for Kids
Learn More about perpetual
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perpetual Spanish Central: Translation of perpetual Nglish: Translation of perpetual for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of perpetual for Arabic speakers
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