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

perpetuator

2 of 2

noun

per·​pet·​u·​a·​tor

-ātə-

plural -s

: one that perpetuates

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

Davis shared her thoughts alongside a side-by-side comparison of the costume with 19th-century minstrel imagery, which perpetuated racist stereotypes about Black Americans and involved the use of blackface. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026

Love allegedly used other names to perpetuate the scheme, including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Many people today have inherited and perpetuated this way of thinking without knowing it, including those who are deemed deficient by it. — Hilary Smith, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Iran, like Israel, has every incentive to pursue policies that perpetuate instability. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin perpetuatus, past participle of perpetuare, from perpetuus

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