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 this hate crimes framework also reinforced the power of policing, which functions to perpetuate social hierarchy.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Another concern is that a diet plan with too few calories or inaccurate nutrient recommendations could perpetuate eating disorders, Nagata said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Wind disperses seeds from some plants to perpetuate the species.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Why perpetuate this problem in city parks — our best refuges from the danger, noise and congestion of city streets?
—Jon Orcutt, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
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Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Another concern is that a diet plan with too few calories or inaccurate nutrient recommendations could perpetuate eating disorders, Nagata said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Wind disperses seeds from some plants to perpetuate the species.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Why perpetuate this problem in city parks — our best refuges from the danger, noise and congestion of city streets?
—Jon Orcutt, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuate. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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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