perpetual
per·pet·u·al
adj\pər-ˈpe-chə-wəl, -chəl; -ˈpech-wəl\
Definition of PERPETUAL
1
a : continuing forever : everlasting <perpetual motion> b (1) : valid for all time <a perpetual right> (2) : holding (as an office) for life or for an unlimited time
2
: occurring continually : indefinitely long-continued <perpetual problems>
3
: blooming continuously throughout the season
— per·pet·u·al·ly adverb
See Examples of PERPETUAL
- The region is in a state of perpetual war.
- He seems to have a perpetual grin on his face.
- the perpetual demands of parenthood
- As always, I was struck by how the core values of the military—service and discipline, both physical and intellectual—are so different from the perpetual American Mardi Gras. —Joe Klein, Time, 29 Aug. 2005
- Because Hunter had been a perpetual Peter Pan, accepting the bleak reality of his death came hard. —Douglas Brinkley, Rolling Stone, 22 Sept. 2005
- He's addicted to the perpetual flux of the information networks. He craves his next data fix. He's a speed freak, an info junkie. —David Brooks, Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2001
- Only after I had built to the emotional peroration culminating in the word “astonishing” was I at last sufficiently unastonished by the force of my feelings to be able to put together a couple of hours of sleep—or something resembling sleep, for, even half out of it, I was a biography in perpetual motion, memory to the marrow of my bones. —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
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Origin of PERPETUAL
Middle English perpetuel, from Anglo-French, from Latin perpetuus uninterrupted, from per- through + petere to go to — more at feather
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to PERPETUAL
Synonyms: ceaseless, continual, continued, continuing, incessant, nonstop, continuous, running, unbroken, unceasing, uninterrupted, unremitting
Antonyms: discontinuous, noncontinuous
Related Words: dateless, deathless, endless, eternal, everlasting, immortal, interminable, permanent, undying, unending; changeless, constant, stable, steady, unchanging, unvarying; durable, enduring, lasting, persistent; imperishable, indestructible
Near Antonyms: intermittent, periodic, periodical, recurrent, recurring; alternate, alternating, cyclic (or cyclical), rhythmic (or rhythmical), seasonal, serial; erratic, fitful, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady
See Synonym Discussion at continual
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