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
In a mostly Spanish-language role, Saldaña convincingly communicates the perpetual distress of the experience, her facial expressions bearing a muted anguish.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
After celebrating the effort with his traditional leg-kick, the three-time Masters champion returned once more to the Augusta National clubhouse to share the secrets of his seemingly perpetual youth.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetual 
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
After celebrating the effort with his traditional leg-kick, the three-time Masters champion returned once more to the Augusta National clubhouse to share the secrets of his seemingly perpetual youth.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetual
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perpetual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing perpetual
Dictionary Entries Near perpetual
Cite this Entry
“Perpetual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetual. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
perpetual
adjective
per·pet·u·al
pər-ˈpech-(ə-)wəl
-ˈpech-əl
1
: continuing forever : everlasting
2
: occurring continually : constant
perpetually
adverb
-ē
More from Merriam-Webster on perpetual
Nglish: Translation of perpetual for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of perpetual for Arabic Speakers
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