perpetuate
verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt 
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
perpetuate the species
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
Only a small number of students who have taken the exam—Jia and Li among them—are blessed with both the extraordinary talent and the drive needed to overcome the structural inequalities that the admissions system perpetuates.
—
Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Even with external backing, the junta’s reliance on ethnic divisions, coercion, and border partnerships is likely to perpetuate instability and humanitarian suffering through 2026.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
My mother may not have perpetuated harmful beliefs about food or bodies, but she was immersed in the evangelical purity culture of the 90s, and the expectations for mothers there were not unlike the heavy load therapeutic culture insists upon today.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
This doesn’t at all track with the new reports that seem to perpetuate the idea that the two never got along and never will.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
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Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Even with external backing, the junta’s reliance on ethnic divisions, coercion, and border partnerships is likely to perpetuate instability and humanitarian suffering through 2026.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
My mother may not have perpetuated harmful beliefs about food or bodies, but she was immersed in the evangelical purity culture of the 90s, and the expectations for mothers there were not unlike the heavy load therapeutic culture insists upon today.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
This doesn’t at all track with the new reports that seem to perpetuate the idea that the two never got along and never will.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuate. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetuate
verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
Legal Definition
perpetuate
transitive verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt
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.
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