Perpetuate
/pərˈpetʃueɪt/
Definitions
To cause something to continue or be remembered.
/pərˈpetʃueɪt/
To make something continue indefinitely.
The museum's mission is to perpetuate the history of the region.
💡 Simply: Imagine you really love a game or tradition. To perpetuate it means you're trying your best to keep it going forever, like passing it down to future generations!
👶 For kids: To make something keep going for a long, long time.
More Examples
By ignoring the problem, we risk perpetuating the cycle of violence.
The goal of education is to perpetuate knowledge across generations.
How It's Used
"The government's policies aim to perpetuate economic growth."
"Stereotypes often perpetuate prejudice."
"The monument was built to perpetuate the memory of the heroes."
From Latin *perpetuāre* ('to make perpetual'), from *perpetuus* ('continuous').
The word 'perpetuate' has been used since the 16th century, originally referring to the action of making something perpetual or lasting indefinitely.
Memory tip
Think of 'per-pet-u-ate' as 'petting' something to keep it alive and going.
Word Origin
"continuous, uninterrupted"