Standard Lemma guide

self-perpetuating

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: S EH2 L F P ER0 P EH1 CH UW0 EY2 T IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Causing itself to continue to exist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The committee was self-perpetuating: all it did was hold a meeting to decide when the next meeting was, and consume funds to do so.
  • It's a self-perpetuating error, now that we've made it, we can't fix it without breaking things that depend on it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English perpetuating English self-perpetuating From self- + perpetuating.