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Definition of perpetual adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

perpetual

adjective
 
/pəˈpetʃuəl/
 
/pərˈpetʃuəl/
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  1. [usually before noun] continuing for a long period of time without stopping or being interrupted synonym continuous
    • the perpetual noise of traffic
    • We lived for years in a perpetual state of fear.
    • (literary) mountain peaks covered with perpetual snows and ice
    Extra Examples
    • Government and parliament are in a state of perpetual conflict.
    • His life is a perpetual holiday.
    • Lack of time is a perpetual problem for nurses on the ward.
    • The country seems to be in a perpetual state of chaos.
    • They exist in a state of perpetual fear.
    Topics Timec2
  2. [usually before noun] frequently repeated, in a way that is annoying synonym continual
    • How can I work with these perpetual interruptions?
    Extra Examples
    • The perpetual interruptions made conversation difficult.
    • People found her perpetual coarse jokes irritating.
  3. [only before noun] (of a job or position) lasting for the whole of somebody’s life
    • He was elected perpetual president.
    • (humorous) She's a perpetual student.
    • The harshest punishment was perpetual exile.
    4. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French perpetuel, from Latin perpetualis, from perpetuus ‘continuing throughout’, from perpes, perpet- ‘continuous’.
See perpetual in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee perpetual in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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halfway
adverb
 
 
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