perpetuity
noun
Did you know?
Perpetuity is a “forever” word—not in the sense that it relates to a lifelong relationship (as in “forever home”), but because it concerns the concept of, well, forever. Not only can perpetuity refer to infinite time, aka eternity, but it also has specific legal and financial uses, as for certain arrangements in wills and for annuities that are payable forever, or at least for the foreseeable future. The word ultimately comes from the Latin adjective perpetuus, meaning “continual” or “uninterrupted.” Perpetuus is the ancestor of several additional “forever” words, including the verb perpetuate (“to cause to last indefinitely”) and the adjective perpetual (“continuing forever,” “occurring continually”). A lesser known descendent, perpetuana, is now mostly encountered in historical works, as it refers to a type of durable wool or worsted fabric made in England only from the late 16th through the 18th centuries. Alas, nothing is truly forever.
Examples of perpetuity in a Sentence
MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Fifty years ago, Bob Seger walked onto a stage in downtown Detroit and waged a pair of performances for perpetuity.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
As the film explores, Chauvet remained pristine because about 28,000 years ago a cliff collapsed sealing the entrance in virtual perpetuity until it was discovered by speleologists including Jean-Marie Chauvet.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
That record will stand for perpetuity now that the course is midway through a $30 million renovation that will see two new wholly separate golf courses with their own singular vibes, the nearly complete Ocean Course and the inland Vineyard Course.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuity
Cite this Entry
“Perpetuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuity. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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perpetuity
noun
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