Word of the day: Perseverate

Perseverate

[pər-SEV-ə-reyt]

Part of speech: verb

Origin: English, 20th century

Repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased.

Examples of perseverate in a sentence

"Though Cassie has been out of birdseed for two months, the birds outside her window perseverate in hanging around her feeder."

"Even though baseball season is over, I perseverate in reading MLB news ahead of next season’s spring training."

About Perseverate

“Perseverate” was a verb created out of the existing English noun “perseveration,” which was based on the Latin “persevērāre,” meaning “to abide by” or “to continue steadfastly.”

Did you Know?

When does someone “perseverate” rather than simply “persevere”? The words are very similar and share a common Latin root, but “persevere” is a more general verb that describes the action of persisting at a task in spite of obstacles. The term “perseverate” was developed by psychologists in the early 20th century to describe circumstances in which a patient continued to respond to a stimulus even when the stimulus was removed. “Perseverate” means to persist in an action even though the reason for doing so no longer exists. For example, a person may perseverate in getting their hair trimmed at a specific salon even though the hairdresser they like has long since moved out of state.