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
And despite the Sunshine State's perpetual popularity, you might be surprised by how much terrain there is for a cheap beach getaway filled with fun.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2024
Talk of restoring it and opening it to the public remained in seemingly perpetual limbo for decades, mired in bureaucratic delays and legal disputes led by surrounding residents in a leafy neighborhood that has gone increasingly upscale since Douglas held court there.
—Claire Grunewald, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024
In an April 12 conversation with ABC News’ Juju Chang, Turner and Nist explained that the perpetual long-distance strained their relationship.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
While playful and childlike to some, the garish makeup, perpetual smiling, and mischievous behavior can also easily be associated with horror tropes.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetual 
Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2024
Talk of restoring it and opening it to the public remained in seemingly perpetual limbo for decades, mired in bureaucratic delays and legal disputes led by surrounding residents in a leafy neighborhood that has gone increasingly upscale since Douglas held court there.
—Claire Grunewald, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024
In an April 12 conversation with ABC News’ Juju Chang, Turner and Nist explained that the perpetual long-distance strained their relationship.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
While playful and childlike to some, the garish makeup, perpetual smiling, and mischievous behavior can also easily be associated with horror tropes.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 May 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.
Dictionary Entries Near perpetual
Cite this Entry
“Perpetual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetual. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetual
adjective
per·pet·u·al
pər-ˈpech-(ə-)wəl
-ˈpech-əl
1
: continuing forever : everlasting
2
: occurring continually : constant
perpetually
adverb
-ē
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