perpetuate
verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt 
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
perpetuate the species
Examples of perpetuate in a Sentence
He perpetuates the myth that his house is haunted.
Fears about an epidemic are being perpetuated by the media.
Recent Examples on the Web
But in the meantime, shame on Netflix for perpetuating a knowingly false narrative that puts kids in danger.
—
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Models may perpetuate societal biases, over-reliance and security vulnerabilities—all of which are potential risks.
—Sibin Thomas, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Grander added that screen time could perpetuate a harmful cycle.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Apr. 2025
In pushing Norwalk to overturn its moratorium, that state is perpetuating an underwhelming (at best) response to homelessness that is undermined by on-the-ground experience.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Models may perpetuate societal biases, over-reliance and security vulnerabilities—all of which are potential risks.
—Sibin Thomas, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Grander added that screen time could perpetuate a harmful cycle.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Apr. 2025
In pushing Norwalk to overturn its moratorium, that state is perpetuating an underwhelming (at best) response to homelessness that is undermined by on-the-ground experience.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetuate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetuate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetuate
verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpech-ə-ˌwāt
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely
Legal Definition
perpetuate
transitive verb
per·pet·u·ate
pər-ˈpe-chə-ˌwāt
perpetuated; perpetuating
: to preserve or make available (testimony) for later use at a trial by means of deposition especially when the evidence so gathered would be otherwise unavailable or lost
Note: Courts will not allow the perpetuation of testimony at a pretrial proceeding if it appears to be an attempt to fish for useful material.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share