perpetuate
verb
- make last longer/forever
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊət/ / /pəˈpɛtjʊət/ / /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃəˌweɪt/ / /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/ / /-ˈpɛtjueɪt/
adj
Etymology: From earlier preparat (see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more).
- Perpetual, or made perpetual; continued for an indefinite time.
“The wele suertie and comfort perpetuat of theym ther heires and successours.”
“The trees and flowers remain / By Nature's care perpetuate and self-sown.”
verb
Etymology: (16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from perpetuus (“everlasting, perpetual”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from per- (“thoroughly, very”) + petō (“to ask, request; to look for; to make for (somewhere)”) + -uus (forms adjectives from verbal stems), literally “that is asked with great zeal, over and over again”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly”). Cognates * Catalan perpetuar * Italian perpetuare * Old French perpetué (adjective) (Middle French perpetué (adjective)); Middle French perpétuer (verb) (modern French perpétuer (verb)) * Old Occitan perpetuar * Portuguese perpetuar * Spanish perpetuar
- To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
“I am contented to contynue it for my tyme, but to perpetuate it lyeth nat in my power.”
“To the ſupportiue perpetuating of your canonized reputation, vvholie this booke haue I deſtined.”
- To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
“If vvitneſſes to a diſputable fact are old and infirm, it is very uſual to file a bill to perpetuate the teſtimony of thoſe vvitneſſes, although no ſuit is depending; for, it may be, a man's antagoniſt only vvaits for the death of ſome of them to begin his ſuit. This is moſt frequent vvhen lands are deviſed by vvill avvay from the heir at lavv; and the deviſee, in order to perpetuate the teſtimony of the vvitneſſes to ſuch vvill, exhibits a bill in chancery againſt the heir, […]”
“It appears to me that this bill makes out no case for perpetuating testimony. Although it was true that the validity of the will could not, by reason of the lease, be immediately tried with the devises in trust, yet it may be immediately tried by an action for rent against the tenant. Testimony can be perpetuated only where by no means the Plaintiff can presently assert his title to the property.”
- To prolong the existence of (something) by repetition; to reinforce.
“He who praiseth obscurity perpetuateth it.”
“[T]he major players […] have the most to either gain from perpetuating the lie to morally or ethically acknowledge the wrong of their actions.”