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
But it must be treated as an extremely temporary measure because the deal struck last month perpetuates U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals.
—
Kamran Bokhari, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The department emphasized that perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither the goal of combating child exploitation nor bringing justice to victims.
—Adeola Adeosun
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Activist-scholar Angela Davis further expands upon Douglass’s critique, using it to challenge the complicity of American institutions in perpetuating racial injustice.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
More recently, Republican lawmakers have accused the accreditation process of perpetuating progressive values and have called for drastic reform.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
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Kamran Bokhari, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The department emphasized that perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither the goal of combating child exploitation nor bringing justice to victims.
—Adeola Adeosun
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Activist-scholar Angela Davis further expands upon Douglass’s critique, using it to challenge the complicity of American institutions in perpetuating racial injustice.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
More recently, Republican lawmakers have accused the accreditation process of perpetuating progressive values and have called for drastic reform.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 3 July 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 22 Jul. 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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