perpetuate
part of speech
verb (perpetuate, perpetuates, perpetuated, perpetuating)
meaning for a pupil
1) To make something continue for a long time, often something bad like a myth, an unfair idea or a problem. tree →
2) To keep a memory or name alive: "The statue perpetuates his memory." tree →
sense in the lessons
In school discussions, "perpetuate a stereotype" means keep an unfair idea going by repeating it; "perpetuate a myth" means keep spreading a false story. In history, monuments perpetuate the memory of people and events. Formal word.
examples
- Jokes like that perpetuate unkind stereotypes. tree →
- The film perpetuates the myth that bats are blind. tree →
- Sharing fake news perpetuates lies. tree →
- The scholarship perpetuates the memory of a kind teacher. tree →
- Poverty can perpetuate itself from parents to children. tree →
- We must not perpetuate unfair rules. tree →
- Or perhaps she had really desired the son instead of the father, and her thwarted desire had perpetuated itself as hate. tree →
note
Formal regular verb. Trap: "perpetuate" (keep going) vs "perpetrate" (commit a crime). Related: perpetual (lasting for ever). Myth check: bats are not blind.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «perpetuate» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.