# perpetuate

> English word · Verb · IPA /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/ · frequency rank #22,765

## Definitions
1. To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
2. To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
3. To prolong the existence of (something) by repetition; to reinforce.

## Etymology
(16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from perpetuus (“everlasting, perpetual”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from per- (“thoroughly, very”) + petō (“to ask, request; to look for; to make for (somewhere)”) + -uus (forms adjectives from verbal stems), literally “that is asked with great zeal, over and over again”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly”).
Cognates
* Catalan perpetuar
* Italian perpetuare
* Old French perpetué (adjective) (Middle French perpetué (adjective)); Middle French perpétuer (verb) (modern French perpétuer (verb))
* Old Occitan perpetuar
* Portuguese perpetuar
* Spanish perpetuar

## Easily confused with
- **perpetuity** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/perpetuate-vs-perpetuity)
- **perpetual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/perpetual-vs-perpetuate)

## Common misspellings (14)
`eprpetuate`, `pepretuate`, `pereptuate`, `perpetaute`, `perpettuate`, `perpetuaet`, `perpetuatte`, `perpetutae`, `perpeutate`, `perppetuate`, `perpteuate`, `perrpetuate`, `pperpetuate`, `prepetuate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/perpetuate