perseverance

noun

per·se·ver·ance ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s

: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness

Examples of perseverance in a Sentence

The great international collectors and curators, once celebrated for their perceptiveness and perseverance, are now regularly deplored as traffickers in, or receivers of, stolen goods. —

Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Review of Books, 9 Feb. 2006

… a cavalcade of black and brown and female faces spinning stories of hardship and triumph through perseverance. —

Michelle Cottle, New Republic, 14 Aug. 2000

… he had no-nonsense coaches with hearts of gold who taught him discipline; he learned perseverance from a father who sent him back out to fight after he took a licking … —

Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 14 Dec. 1998

His perseverance was rewarded: after many rejections, he finally found a job. Perseverance is required to perfect just about any skill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The woman’s coffee skin features white and black striations: while the white lines communicate where light touches her, the latter lines hollow out her under-eyes and cheeks to register a fatigue that evinces perseverance. —

Shameekia Shantel Johnson, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Document a friend’s narration of efforts to counter racial violence—stories of resilience, perseverance, communal support and hope. —

Gerui Wang, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Isabella Strahan has taught her famous dad a thing or two about perseverance. —

Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024 This perseverance, demonstrated in her triumphs and trials, forms the backbone of the narrative. —

Okla Jones, Essence, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for perseverance

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perseveraunce, borrowed from Anglo-French parseverance, parsevrance, borrowed from Latin persevērantia, noun derivative of persevērant-, persevērans "persisting in a course of action, steadfast," from present participle of persevērāre "to persist in a course of action or an attitude in spite of opposition, keep on" — more at persevere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of perseverance was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century