perpetuate

verb

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per·pet·u·ate | \ pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt

perpetuated; perpetuating

Definition of perpetuate

transitive verb

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely perpetuate the species

Other Words from perpetuate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about perpetuate

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Other Words from perpetuate

perpetuation \ pər-ˌpe-chə-ˈwā-shən

\ noun

perpetuator \ pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwā-tər

\ noun

Synonyms for perpetuate

Synonyms

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 Since many people with higher BMIs are healthy, the BMI can perpetuate weight bias. — Adele Jackson-gibson, Good Housekeeping, "The Racist and Problematic History of the Body Mass Index," 23 Feb. 2021 Some have cited scientific studies showing that facial analysis software and other AI can perpetuate biases or erode privacy. — NBC News, "Google told its scientists to 'strike a positive tone' in AI research, documents show," 23 Dec. 2020 The Oxy Kingpins covers the untold story of how a network of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers worked together to orchestrate and perpetuate the opioid crisis that has killed over half a million people in America. — Mia Galuppo, Billboard, "Charli XCX, Tom Petty Docs Set as SXSW Headliners for Virtual Film Fest," 10 Feb. 2021 To perpetuate his crimes and cover his tracks, Goodman provided clients with false investment proposals and bogus online account information. — Paul Walsh, Star Tribune, "Charge: Twin Cities adviser stole $2.25M from investors, built $1.7M home, bought $49K SUV," 9 Feb. 2021 The Vietnamese community, for example, has few sources that are in their language and the ones that are are often bloggers and personalities who are heavily biased toward Trump and perpetuate the same divisive rhetoric among immigrants. — NBC News, "How Biden can undo the divisions Trump deepened in immigrant communities," 1 Feb. 2021 The force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence. — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "Trump getting Covid-19 has nothing to do with karma," 2 Oct. 2020 Look for ways existing processes encourage and perpetuate unequal and inequitable treatment of Black employees. — CNN, "Diversity leaders to Corporate America: Black employees' lives depend on your willingness to change," 11 Aug. 2020 Lawyers defending the Oregon Cares Fund have argued that the state has a duty to ensure that the distribution of Covid-19 relief funds does not perpetuate the disparities Black residents face. — New York Times, "A Covid-19 Relief Fund Was Only for Black Residents. Then Came the Lawsuits.," 3 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perpetuate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

8 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Perpetuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuate. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for perpetuate

perpetuate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of perpetuate

formal : to cause (something that should be stopped, such as a mistaken idea or a bad situation) to continue

See the full definition for perpetuate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

perpetuate

verb

per·pet·u·ate | \ pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt

perpetuated; perpetuating

Kids Definition of perpetuate

: to cause to last a long time

perpetuate

transitive verb

per·pet·u·ate | \ pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt

perpetuated; perpetuating

Legal Definition of perpetuate

: 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.