Meaning & use
perpetual
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Going on without stopping or seeming to end.
Grammar: Almost always before a noun: perpetual motion.
The city lives in perpetual noise.
The cave was in perpetual darkness.
He lived in perpetual fear of failure.
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
Happening again and again in an annoying way.
Grammar: Often disapproving.
Their perpetual quarreling tired the family.
I'm tired of your perpetual complaints.
adjectivebefore a nounformallegal
Lasting for life or without a time limit.
Grammar: Formal or legal.
Patterns
- perpetual calendar
The trust holds the land in perpetual ownership.
She received a perpetual license.
Common combinations
- perpetual motion
- A perpetual motion machine cannot exist.
- perpetual state
- The kitchen was in a perpetual state of mess.
- perpetual darkness
- Perpetual darkness fills the cave.
- perpetual calendar
- A perpetual calendar works for any year.
- perpetually
- He is perpetually late.
Synonyms and how they differ
- endless
- Everyday and general.
- constant
- Stresses it never changes or stops.
- everlasting
- Stresses lasting forever, often positive.
- incessant
- Stresses annoying nonstop noise or action.
Opposites
Word family
- perpetually adverb
- all the time
- perpetuate verb
- to make continue
- perpetuity noun
- endless time
Commonly confused: perpetual or perpetrate?
perpetual vs perpetrate
Perpetrate means to commit a crime; perpetuate means to keep going.
Practice
Which is a perpetual problem?
Choose one answer.
Perpetual means continuing without end.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “perpetual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.