perpetuity

P3E1R1P3E1T1U1I1T1Y4
UK/ˌpɜː(ɹ)pɪˈtjuːɪti/US/ˌpɝpəˈtuːɪti/

noun

The quality or state of being perpetual; endless duration; uninterrupted existence.

Less commonScrabble 17

Meanings

nounperpetuity (countable and uncountable, plural perpetuities)

plural perpetuities

  1. uncountableThe quality or state of being perpetual; endless duration; uninterrupted existence.

    The gnomic belief that the world is conditioned by love is no idle apothegm. Love, as the instrument of creative agencies and cosmic perpetuity, is no banausic conception.

    1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page i
    1 more example

    Mr. Waller adds that when the railway was authorised in 1897, one of the clauses of the Act authorising the transfer of the line to the North British Railway provided that that company should work it in perpetuity, and it was this clause that caused the interim interdict to be granted.

    1951 April, “Notes and News: North Fife Line, Scotland”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 281

    Synonyms: endlessness

  2. countableSomething that is perpetual.
  3. countablelawA limitation intended to be unalterable and of indefinite duration; a disposition of property which attempts to make it inalienable beyond certain limits fixed or conceived as being fixed by the general law.
  4. countablebusinessAn annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe quality or state of being perpetual; endless duration; uninterrupted existence.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe property of being perpetual (seemingly ceaseless)

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinperpetuitās
  2. Old Frenchperpetüité
  3. Middle Englishperpetuitee
  4. Englishperpetuity

From Middle English perpetuitee, perpetuite, perpetuyte, from Old French perpetüité, ultimately from Latin perpetuitās.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خُلْد
  • خُلْد (ḵuld)the quality or state of being perpetual
Bulgarian ве́чност, пожизнена рента
  • ве́чност (véčnost)the quality or state of being perpetual
  • пожизнена рента (požiznena renta)an annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely
Catalan perpetuïtat
  • perpetuïtatthe quality or state of being perpetual
Chinese Mandarin 永世
  • 永世 (yǒngshì)the quality or state of being perpetual
Czech perpetuita
  • perpetuitaan annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely
French perpétuité
  • perpétuitéthe quality or state of being perpetual
Hindi निरंतरता
  • निरंतरता (nirantartā)the quality or state of being perpetual
Irish síoraíocht, buaine
  • síoraíochtthe quality or state of being perpetual
  • buainethe quality or state of being perpetual
  • buanbhlianachtan annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely
Italian perennità, perpetuità
  • perennitàthe quality or state of being perpetual
  • perpetuitàthe quality or state of being perpetual
Japanese 永世, 恒久
  • 永世 (eisei)the quality or state of being perpetual
  • 恒久 (kōkyū)the quality or state of being perpetual
Latin sempiternitās, perpetuitās
  • sempiternitāsthe quality or state of being perpetual
  • perpetuitāsthe quality or state of being perpetual
Malay keabadian
  • keabadianthe quality or state of being perpetual
Persian ابد
  • ابد (abad)the quality or state of being perpetual
Polish bezustanność, wieczność
  • bezustannośćthe quality or state of being perpetual
  • wiecznośćthe quality or state of being perpetual
  • renta wieczystaan annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely
Portuguese perpetuidade
  • perpetuidadethe quality or state of being perpetual
Spanish perpetuidad
  • perpetuidadthe quality or state of being perpetual
Cite this entry
APA

perpetuity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetuity

MLA

“perpetuity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetuity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perpetuity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetuity.

Source: perpetuity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.