How do you pronounce perpetual?

The recorded pronunciation is /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃuəl/.

Where does perpetual come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

perpetual

/pɚˈpɛt͡ʃuəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.61 in modern English

Syllables: per-pet-u-al
IPA: /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃuəl/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Lasting forever, or for an indefinitely long time.

adj

Set up to be in effect or have tenure for an unlimited duration.

adj

Continuing; uninterrupted.

adj

Flowering throughout the growing season.

noun

Ellipsis of perpetual check.

Example Sentences

"perpetual copyright"
""And yet," returned Francesca, "the secret of Arden's sufferings seems to have been in himself. From earliest youth he indulged in vain contrasts and repinings, and even his very love was selfish and cruel. Think how much happiness he lost by his perpetual exaggerations!""
"There are perpetual requests for changes as new payloads and new demands and modifications are suggested by the users."
"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."

Etymology

From Middle English perpetuel, from Old French perpetuel, from Latin perpetuālis (“universal”), from perpetuus, from petō.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *peth₂-, perpetuel, perpetuālis

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɚˈpɛt͡ʃuəl/
British English: /pəˈpɛtʃʊəl/

Inflected Forms

perpetuall (alternative, obsolete) perpetuals (plural)

Derived Forms

nonperpetual perpetualism perpetualist perpetuality perpetually perpetualness semiperpetual unperpetual

Phrases

a contented mind is a perpetual feast hybrid perpetual perpetual beta perpetual bond perpetual canon perpetual curate perpetual futures perpetual inventory

Frequently Paired Words

perpetuate

Synonyms

persistent ageful agelong amaranthine celestial endless enduring eternal eterne everduring evergreen everlasting