perpetuate

1 of 2

verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt 

perpetuated; perpetuating

transitive verb

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely

perpetuate the species

perpetuation

pər-ˌpe-chə-ˈwā-shən 

noun

perpetuator

pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwā-tər 

noun

perpetuation

2 of 2

noun

per·​pet·​u·​a·​tion

plural -s

: the act or process of perpetuating : preservation

perpetuation of the culture

—A. L. Kroeber

the perpetuation of social inequalities

—George Sampson

Synonyms of perpetuate

Verb

• commemorate
• celebrate
• immortalize
• honor
• eternalize

Examples of perpetuate in a Sentence

Verb

He perpetuates the myth that his house is haunted.

Fears about an epidemic are being perpetuated by the media.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Our work re-imagines these ancient tombs as theatrical spaces, built to perpetuate a form of metaphysical human experience. — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026

Haitian immigration to the Dominican Republic is often characterized as an ongoing peaceful invasion – a nationalistic narrative that has been perpetuated by Dominican politicians for over 50 years. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Given this expanding electronic kit bag, various stakeholders—from government agencies to local police, under the pretext of public safety—perpetuate the systemized encroachment on citizens’ private worlds. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

That blockade has perpetuated a humanitarian crisis in much of Yemen. — Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin perpetuatus, past participle of perpetuare, from perpetuus

Noun

Middle English perpetuacioun, from Medieval Latin perpetuation-, perpetuatio, from Latin perpetuatus + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perpetuate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

perpetuate

verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt 

perpetuated; perpetuating

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely

perpetuation

-ˌpech-ə-ˈwā-shən 

noun

perpetuator

-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt-ər 

noun

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.

perpetuation

pər-ˌpe-chə-ˈwā-shən 

noun