perpetuate

verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt 

perpetuated; perpetuating

transitive verb

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely

perpetuate the species

perpetuation

pər-ˌpe-chə-ˈwā-shən 

noun

perpetuator

pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• eternalize
• immortalize

Examples of perpetuate in a Sentence

He perpetuates the myth that his house is haunted.

Fears about an epidemic are being perpetuated by the media.

Recent Examples on the Web

Also at Monday’s press conference, Trump continued to perpetuate false claims about FEMA and the recovery efforts following Helene, including that FEMA’s response was hindered because its budget had gone to people entering the country illegally. —Abigail Adams, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

Worse, personality assessments often categorize executives in ways that may reinforce biases or perpetuate unhelpful group dynamics. —Cristian Hofmann, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

Because of the winding road the delegates took to reach the solution, the origins of the Electoral College are usually described as being either about the delegates’ distrust of the people or as a means to perpetuate slavery. —Jane E. Calvert / Made By History, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

Tucker’s candidacy provided an opportunity to end the conflict of interest that Rogers has perpetuated. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin perpetuatus, past participle of perpetuare, from perpetuus

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

perpetuate

verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt 

perpetuated; perpetuating

: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely

perpetuation

-ˌpech-ə-ˈwā-shən 

noun

perpetuator

-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

perpetuate

transitive verb

per·​pet·​u·​ate pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt 

perpetuated; perpetuating

: to preserve or make available (testimony) for later use at a trial by means of deposition especially when the evidence so gathered would be otherwise unavailable or lost

Note: Courts will not allow the perpetuation of testimony at a pretrial proceeding if it appears to be an attempt to fish for useful material.

perpetuation

pər-ˌpe-chə-ˈwā-shən 

noun