perpetual

English

Alternative forms

• perpetuall (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French perpetuel, from Latin perpetualis (“universal”), from perpetuus, from peto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɚˈpɛtʃuəl/
• IPA^(key): /pəˈpɛtʃʊəl/, /pəˈpɛtjʊəl/
• Hyphenation: per‧pet‧u‧al

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

perpetual (not comparable)

1. Lasting forever, or for an indefinitely long time
2. Set up to be in effect or have tenure for an unlimited duration
3. Continuing uninterrupted
4. (botany) Flowering throughout the growing season

   By means of artificial hybridization, practised for a series of years, he has succeeded in producing a race of carnations which are perpetual bloomers.

   The hybrid perpetual roses as a rule require to be pruned to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground.

Derived terms

• perpetual motion

Related terms

• perpetuate

Translations

lasting forever

• Catalan: perpetu, perpetual (ca)
• Danish: evig (da)
• Dutch: eeuwig (nl), eeuwigdurend (nl)
• French: perpétuel (fr) m
• Galician: perpetuo
• Greek: παντοτινός (el) (pantotinós)

  Ancient: αἰώνιος (aiṓnios)

• Indonesian: abadi (id)
• Irish: síoraí
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: perpetuo (it)
• Korean: 영구의 (yeongguui)
• Latin: aeternus (la), perpetuus (la)
• Maori: mutungakore
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: evigvarende

• Polish: wieczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: perpétuo (pt)
• Spanish: perpetuo

continuing uninterrupted

• Danish: vedvarende, permanent (da)
• Greek: αέναος (el) (aénaos)

  Ancient: ἐνδελεχής (endelekhḗs)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: síoraí
• Italian: perenne (it)
• Latin: perpetuus (la), perpes, iūgis
• Portuguese: perpétuo (pt)

flowering throughout the growing season

• Danish: stedsegrøn (da) (used with green plants; literally "ever green")
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: πολυετής (el) (polyetís)
• Portuguese: perpétuo (pt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Finnish: päättymätön (fi), ikuinen (fi), jatkuva (fi)
• German: ^{(please verify)} ewig (de), ^{(please verify)} fortwährend (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} תמידי (t'midí)

Further reading

• “perpetual”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

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Catalan

Adjective

perpetual m or f (masculine and feminine plural perpetuals)

1. perpetual

Synonyms

• perpetu