perpetual

adjective per·pet·u·al \pər-ˈpe-chə-wəl, -chəl; -ˈpech-wəl\

: continuing forever or for a very long time without stopping

: happening all the time or very often

Full Definition of PERPETUAL

a : continuing forever : everlasting <perpetual motion>

b (1) : valid for all time <a perpetual right> (2) : holding (as an office) for life or for an unlimited time

: occurring continually : indefinitely long-continued <perpetual problems>

: blooming continuously throughout the season

— per·pet·u·al·ly adverb

See perpetual defined for English-language learners

See perpetual defined for kids

Examples of PERPETUAL

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
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Origin of PERPETUAL

Middle English perpetuel, from Anglo-French, from Latin perpetuus uninterrupted, from per- through + petere to go to — more at feather

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PERPETUAL

Synonyms: ceaseless, continual, continued, continuing, incessant, nonstop, continuous, running, unbroken, unceasing, uninterrupted, unremitting

Antonyms: discontinuous, noncontinuous

Synonym Discussion of PERPETUAL

continual, continuous, constant, incessant, perpetual, perennial mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence. continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence <continual showers the whole weekend>. continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension <football's oldest continuous rivalry>. constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence <lived in constant pain>. incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity <annoyed by the incessant quarreling>. perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration <a land of perpetual snowfall>. perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal <a perennial source of controversy>.