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to perpetuate

to perpetuate

114 6.5
Make a bad situation or idea continue when it should stop
  • verb
  • /pərˈpɛtʃuˌeɪt/
translation icon : perpetuar
  • The Clinton policy perpetuates the national goal of "no net loss" of wetlands.
  • perpetuate stereotypes
  • perpetuate the cycle
  • perpetuate the system

And so moving in that direction is just perpetuating the risk.

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Examples

  • The museum would instead create a middle-class base of patronage and a self-perpetuating cycle of artistic production.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Theme parks at large are similarly criticized for perpetuating oversimplified, stereotyped views of the world.

    Academic text (1990)
  • But if you do that, you perpetuate the end of this country itself.

  • To blame is to perpetuate the past, to keep it going.

  • Of course, keeping women from further exercise only served to perpetuate any state of physical weakness.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Social workers' insights can be used to perpetuate better policies and programs in human services.

    Academic text (1991)
  • There is no longer any excuse for religious leaders to perpetuate old attitudes toward religious diversity.

    Academic text (1999)
  • If we don't, we risk perpetuating a class system based on race.

  • Arranged marriages perpetuate religious and caste divisions.

  • Arranged marriages perpetuate religious and caste divisions.

Synonyms

to maintain
vsto perpetuate
931 3.1

Keep an activity, quality, or schedule going over time

causes continuation often keeping unwanted situations in place
to sustain
vsto perpetuate
102 4.0

To keep something going for a long time

causes continuation often with negative or unwanted effects

Antonyms

324 3.6

To stop or come to an end

To stop something that is happening or being given

Phrasal Verbs

1 7.4

To cause racist ideas or unfair treatment to continue

How Persistent

to entrench
45 6.7
to perpetuate
114 6.5
to preserve
496 3.4
to maintain
931 3.1

Surface Forms

perpetuate infinitive
perpetuated past participle
perpetuating present participle
perpetuates third person singular

Morphology

perpetuate = perpetual (semi-transparent) = per + petu + ate

The transformation from 'perpetual' to 'perpetuate' is clear, but the root 'petu' is not a standalone English word.

Etymology

The word perpetuate comes from the same root as perpetual, which means 'continuous' or 'never ending'. So, to perpetuate something is to make it keep going or happen again, often keeping a problem alive.