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per·pe·tu·i·ty

(pûr′pĭ-tĭ-tē, -ty-)

n. pl. per·pe·tu·i·ties

1. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The perpetuity of the Church was an article of faith" (Morris L. West).

2. Time without end; eternity.

3. Law

a. The condition of an estate that is limited so as to be inalienable either perpetually or longer than the period determined by law.

b. An estate so limited.

4. An annuity payable indefinitely.

Idiom:

in perpetuity

For an indefinite period of time; forever.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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