Word of the Day

: December 18, 2015

perpetuity

noun per-puh-TOO-uh-tee

What It Means

1 : eternity

2 : the quality or state of continuing forever

perpetuity in Context

The terms of the benefactor's will calls for the formation of a trust intended to fund the library for perpetuity.

"Afterwards these animals were reintroduced to the project area, and migratory corridors were created between solar fields to allow antelope and elk to pass unimpeded. As an added measure … 12,000 acres of nearby land were set aside for conservation in perpetuity." — Philip Warburg, The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2015

Did You Know?

Continual existence—that elusive concept has made perpetuity a favorite term of philosophers and poets for centuries. The word derives ultimately from the Latin adjective perpetuus ("continual" or "uninterrupted"), which is also the source of our perpetual and perpetuate. It frequently occurs in the phrase "in perpetuity," which essentially means "forever" or "for an indefinitely long period of time." Perpetuity also has some specific uses in law. It can refer to an arrangement in a will rendering land forever inalienable (or at least, for a period longer than is set by rules against such arrangements) or to an annuity that is payable forever.