Word
persistence
Phoneticsper·sis·tence, stress on the second syllable
US/pɝˈsɪstəns/
UK/pəsˈɪstəns/
Definitions
01determination
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the quality of continuing to try to do something even when it is difficult or people are against you.
n. the quality of continuing steadily in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
“Her persistence finally paid off when the company offered her the job after three interviews.”
“The investigator's persistence in following every lead, no matter how minor, eventually resulted in a breakthrough that solved the decade-old cold case.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02lasting existence
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the fact of something continuing to exist or happen for a long time.
n. the continued existence or occurrence of something, especially beyond the expected duration.
“The persistence of the heavy rain caused flooding in the lower parts of the city.”
“Economists are concerned about the persistence of high inflation despite the central bank's aggressive interest rate hikes over the last quarter.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03data storage
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. the way data stays in a computer system even after the program is turned off.
n. the property of data that survives the termination of the process that created it.
“Without data persistence, all your progress in the game would be lost when you close the app.”
“The architecture ensures data persistence by automatically mirroring all transactions to a secondary database located in a different geographic region.”
Usage
Uncountable in this technical context.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04iterative operations
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical
n. the number of times you can do a math operation to a number before it stops changing.
n. the number of times an operation can be iteratively applied to an integer before it reaches a fixed point.
“The additive persistence of 39 is 2 because 3 plus 9 is 12, and 1 plus 2 is 3.”
“The student explored the multiplicative persistence of various large integers as part of her senior thesis on recreational number theory.”
Real-World Examples
“Learning can require persistence and struggle, and no one benefits from a classroom without challenge.” “This book shows the importance of persistence when refining a skill and remaining true to oneself.” “But it took years of pressure and persistence to get here.” Etymology
From Middle French persistance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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