Word
perpetual
Phoneticsper·pet·u·al, stress on the second syllable
US/pɝˈpɛtʃuəɫ/
UK/pəpˈɛtʃuːəl/
Definitions
01lasting forever
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. lasting forever or for a very long time.
adj. lasting for an indefinitely long period or for eternity. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe agreements or states.
Español:perpetuo
“The two countries signed a treaty of perpetual peace to end the war.”
“The trust was established to provide perpetual funding for the library, ensuring its operations would continue long after the original donors had passed.”
Synonyms
02flowering all season
C2 · Proficiency Botany Technical
adj. describing a plant that produces flowers throughout the whole growing season.
adj. producing a succession of flowers throughout the growing season rather than blooming only once.
“These perpetual roses will keep your garden colourful until the first frost.”
“The hybrid perpetual roses became immensely popular in the nineteenth century due to their ability to bloom reliably in both spring and autumn.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“However, there is one that has eluded him and he’s now in a perpetual hunt for it: Walls’ Midnight Mint – a brown choc ice wrapper with an owl on it.” “A perpetual caveat: Power plant technologies have important differences to keep in mind when comparing generating capacity.” Etymology
From Middle English perpetuel, from Old French perpetuel, from Latin perpetuālis (“universal”), from perpetuus, from petō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/perpetual
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0