perpetuate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃəˌweɪt/ UK /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #32963

Meanings

1

verb
to make something, especially something bad, continue for a long time

These cheap films only perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
2

verb
to preserve something so that it lasts and is not forgotten

The festival perpetuates a tradition that is hundreds of years old.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something,... continue

2 verb · to preserve something so... immortalize eternalize

Word family

Forms perpetuatedperpetuatesperpetuatingperpetuation

Derived forms autoperpetuateperpetuatedperpetuatingperpetuatorself-perpetuatingunperpetuated

Related forms nonperpetualperpetuableperpetualperpetualismperpetualistperpetualityperpetuallyperpetualnessperpetualtyperpetuanaperpetuanceperpetuant

Etymology

(16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from perpetuus (“everlasting, perpetual”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from per- (“thoroughly, very”) + petō (“to ask, request; to look for; to make for (somewhere)”) + -uus (forms adjectives from verbal stems), literally “that is asked with great zeal, over and over again”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European…

*per- Proto-Indo-European perpetuātus Latin *peth₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# perpetuate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃəˌweɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 32963

## Meanings
1. to make something, especially something bad, continue for a long time
2. to preserve something so that it lasts and is not forgotten

## Examples
- These cheap films only perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
- The festival perpetuates a tradition that is hundreds of years old.

## Derived Forms
- autoperpetuate
- perpetuated
- perpetuating
- perpetuator
- self-perpetuating
- unperpetuated

## Related Forms
- nonperpetual
- perpetuable
- perpetual
- perpetualism
- perpetualist
- perpetuality
- perpetually
- perpetualness
- perpetualty
- perpetuana
- perpetuance
- perpetuant

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per-
- Root: perpetuātus
- Root: *peth₂-

## Etymology
(16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from perpetuus (“everlasting, perpetual”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from per- (“thoroughly, very”) + petō (“to ask, request; to look for; to make for (somewhere)”) + -uus (forms adjectives from verbal stems), literally “that is asked with great zeal, over and over again”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European…

## AI Etymology
Perpetuate's history includes Proto-Indo-European *per-, Latin perpetuātus, and Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-. In present-day use, it can mean to make something, especially something bad, continue for a long time, or to preserve something so that it lasts and is not forgotten. Derived formations include autoperpetuate, perpetuated, perpetuating, perpetuator, self-perpetuating. Related words include nonperpetual, perpetuable, perpetual, perpetualism, perpetualist.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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