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
While answering a question about how negative public perceptions may have led to perpetuating cycles of self-destruction, Dunham brought up how those narratives echoed themselves on television.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
Almost immediately after releasing Einstein, Paliwal started receiving emails from professors chastising him for creating a tool seemingly designed to perpetuate academic fraud.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Because another person will perpetuate the same tropes.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
It will be used to invalidate our state laws and perpetuate a system of animal cruelty that predominantly serves the interests of factory farms.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
Almost immediately after releasing Einstein, Paliwal started receiving emails from professors chastising him for creating a tool seemingly designed to perpetuate academic fraud.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Because another person will perpetuate the same tropes.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
It will be used to invalidate our state laws and perpetuate a system of animal cruelty that predominantly serves the interests of factory farms.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 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.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
