perpetuation

[ per-pech-oo-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of causing something to continue or go on happening:

   The object of the sorority, among others, is the perpetuation of good fellowship, friendship, and sisterly love among its members.

2. the act of preserving something from extinction or oblivion:

   I spent many months writing the biographies of my father and grandfather to aid in the perpetuation of their memory.

Other Words From

• non·per·pet·u·ance noun
• non·per·pet·u·a·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of perpetuation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin perpetuātiōn-, stem of perpetuātiō “a making uninterrupted, preservation”; perpetuate ( def ), -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

This devaluation of nonwhite votes should not be surprising, since the Electoral College was one of the Constitution’s several accommodations for slavery, and later served as a perpetuation of Jim Crow.

From Slate

It asks rhetorically, “Does the suspension of free speech rights during a pandemic help keep the population better informed or does it permit the perpetuation of false ideas by governments?”

From Los Angeles Times

Indeed, even egregious perpetuation of the status quo is rarely a page-turner.

From Slate

In essence, while presenting itself as a caring alternative to Netanyahu-brand extremism, liberal Zionism’s yearning for “peace” assumes perpetuation of basic Israeli transgressions and gains over the last 75 years, while calling for acceptance and submission from a defeated and colonized people.

From Salon

"There is only the perpetuation, however flawed and feeble you might perceive it, of our fragile 249-year-old experiment or the entropy that will engulf and destroy us if we take the other route," he continued.

From Salon

Related Words

• care
• conservancy
• conservation
• safeguarding
• safety
• security
• storage