perpetuate
gb/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt/ us/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt/
C1
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
cause a harmful thing to continue
To make a bad situation, idea, or way of doing things continue instead of ending.
Usage pattern:
to perpetuate [a problem / a stereotype / inequality]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "perpetuate" with "perpetrate." "Perpetuate" means to make something continue, usually a problem or belief. "Perpetrate" means to do or commit something bad, such as a crime (e.g., "perpetrate a crime"). Many also try to use "perpetuate" alone without an object; it is almost always followed by what is being continued (e.g., "perpetuate a myth," not just "perpetuate").
Synonyms
prolong (Focuses on making something last longer in time; not always negative, while "perpetuate" is often used for social problems or harmful beliefs.)
Antonyms
end (Emphasizes stopping something completely, which is the opposite of causing it to continue.)
Collocations
perpetuate stereotypes
|perpetuate inequality
|perpetuate violence
|perpetuate injustice
|perpetuate a cycle
|perpetuate a myth
Themes
society
|politics
|justice
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The film was criticized for perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes.
- Underfunded schools can perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality.
- Media coverage that focuses only on crime can perpetuate fear in the community.
- Ignoring the problem will only perpetuate the injustice.
- Jokes like that perpetuate negative ideas about mental illness.
Learner examples
- Those stories perpetuate a false picture of that culture.
- High housing costs perpetuate the problem of homelessness.
- If we stay silent, we help perpetuate the unfair system.
- Old jokes about women still perpetuate sexist ideas.
Verb
formal
C1
action
2
preserve memory, legacy, or tradition
To keep a memory, tradition, or name alive so people will remember it for a long time.
Usage pattern:
to perpetuate [the memory / a tradition / a legacy / the species]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this formal sense in everyday speech where a simpler verb like "keep" or "remember" is more natural (e.g., saying "perpetuate his memory" in casual talk instead of "keep his memory alive"). They may also forget that this sense can be positive or neutral, unlike the more common negative social-problem sense.
Synonyms
preserve (Stresses keeping something safe from loss or change; it is slightly more general and less formal than "perpetuate.")
Antonyms
let fade (Emphasizes allowing a memory or tradition to slowly disappear instead of keeping it alive.)
Collocations
perpetuate the memory
|perpetuate a legacy
|perpetuate a tradition
|perpetuate the species
|perpetuate his name
Themes
culture
|history
|family
|religion
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The scholarship was created to perpetuate her memory and support future students.
- These annual ceremonies help perpetuate the traditions of the community.
- The monument was built to perpetuate the legacy of the civil rights leader.
- Through his writings, he hoped to perpetuate his family name.
- Conservation efforts aim to perpetuate the species for future generations.
Learner examples
- The museum wants to perpetuate the memory of the war victims.
- This festival helps perpetuate old cultural traditions.
- They planted a tree to perpetuate their grandfather’s memory.
- Scientists work hard to perpetuate the species in danger.
Grammar
Dictionary form
perpetuate
IPA
GB/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt/
US/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
per - petu - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (per)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: perpetuate
- 3rd Person Singular: perpetuates
- Present Participle: perpetuating
- Past: perpetuated
Word family
Forms
perpetuates
verb
perpetuating
verb
perpetuated
verb
Core family
Related words
perpetuity
noun
Advanced or less common
perpetuator
noun
Expressions
perpetuate a myth
1/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt ə mˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
keep a false belief going
To make a false idea or story continue, so people still believe it.
Examples
- By repeating that story, you only perpetuate a myth about how poverty works.
- The article challenges the media for perpetuating a myth of constant economic growth.
perpetuate inequality
1/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt ˌɪnɪkwˈɑləti/
fixed phrase
keep social inequality going
To make unfair differences between groups of people continue.
Examples
- Biased hiring practices perpetuate inequality in the workplace.
- Without policy changes, the tax system may perpetuate inequality for decades.
perpetuate stereotypes
1/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt stˈɛɹioʊtˌaɪps/
fixed phrase
keep harmful stereotypes going
To make unfair and simple ideas about a group of people continue.
Examples
- Advertising that uses only thin models can perpetuate stereotypes about beauty.
- Teachers must be careful not to perpetuate stereotypes in the classroom.
perpetuate the cycle
1/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt ðə sˈaɪkəl/
fixed phrase
keep a repeating cycle going
To make a pattern that repeats again and again, often a bad one like violence or poverty, continue.
Examples
- Harsh punishments can perpetuate the cycle of violence in families.
- Lack of education and low wages perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
perpetuate the memory of [someone]
1/pɚpˈɛt͡ʃuˌeɪt ðə mˈɛmɚi əv sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
formal
keep someone’s memory alive
To do something so that people will remember a person for a long time.
Examples
- The foundation was established to perpetuate the memory of the scientist’s work.
- Every year they hold a concert to perpetuate the memory of the beloved musician.