perpetual
adjective
per·pet·u·al
pər-ˈpe-chə-wəl 
-chəl;
-ˈpech-wəl
1
a
: continuing forever : everlasting
perpetual motion
b(1)
: valid for all time
a perpetual right
(2)
: holding something (such as an office) for life or for an unlimited time
2
: occurring continually : indefinitely long-continued
perpetual problems
3
: blooming continuously throughout the season
Synonyms
Examples of perpetual in a Sentence
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
The region is in a state of perpetual war.
He seems to have a perpetual grin on his face.
the perpetual demands of parenthood
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
The region is in a state of perpetual war.
He seems to have a perpetual grin on his face.
the perpetual demands of parenthood
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet, victimhood narrative advocates do just that, framing us as perpetual outsiders, oppressed by America.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
With food and labor costs on the rise and staff retention a perpetual challenge, the economics of keeping alive a tradition of giving out free food may not make sense to out-of-towners, but these New Orleanians say: that’s not really the point.
—Joshua Carlucci, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2024
With her big inward eyes and perpetual glower, Northam effectively conveys Elsa’s restless, blinkered life.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Although Apophis was defeated each night, he could never be permanently destroyed, symbolizing the perpetual struggle between order and chaos.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetual 
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Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
With food and labor costs on the rise and staff retention a perpetual challenge, the economics of keeping alive a tradition of giving out free food may not make sense to out-of-towners, but these New Orleanians say: that’s not really the point.
—Joshua Carlucci, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2024
With her big inward eyes and perpetual glower, Northam effectively conveys Elsa’s restless, blinkered life.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Although Apophis was defeated each night, he could never be permanently destroyed, symbolizing the perpetual struggle between order and chaos.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetual
Dictionary Entries Near perpetual
Cite this Entry
“Perpetual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetual. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetual
adjective
per·pet·u·al
pər-ˈpech-(ə-)wəl
-ˈpech-əl
1
: continuing forever : everlasting
2
: occurring continually : constant
perpetually
adverb
-ē
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