perpetuity
Other forms: perpetuities
The word perpetuity means "the property of lasting forever." The perpetuity of an eternal flame means that it will burn endlessly, while an ordinary candle flame will eventually extinguish.
Anything in perpetuity keeps on going and going and going. If you crash the family car and your parents ban you from driving it in perpetuity, you’re never driving that car again. First appearing in the 15th century, the noun perpetuity derives from the Latin word perpetuus meaning "continuing throughout."
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the property of being perpetual (seemingly ceaseless)synonyms: sempiternity
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Vocabulary lists containing perpetuity
The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is 800 years old on June 15, 2015. The Magna Carta settled the rebellion of some barons against the king. Although some of the language is still obscure, the document is widely credited as being the first statement of individual rights under kingly rule. Among other things, it put a limit on payments that could be made to a king and ensured swift justice, guaranteed by a board of peers, in this case 25 barons. Here are 35 words from the English translation of the original Latin of this document that is the forerunner of democratic expressions like the Declaration of Independence.
The narrator of this short story recounts the life of an eccentric woman in his Southern town. Here are links to our lists for other works by William Faulkner: Absalom, Absalom!, As I Lay Dying
Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office as the 16th President of the United States on March 4, 1861. Since his election the previous November Southern states had met and declared their intent to secede. In his inaugural address Lincoln made it clear that he did not consider the Southern states to be enemies but that it was his duty to protect the Union, by force if necessary.