perpetuity

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The quality or state of being perpetual; endless duration; uninterrupted existence.
  2. Something that is perpetual.
  3. A limitation intended to be unalterable and of indefinite duration; a disposition of property which attempts to make it inalienable beyond certain limits fixed or conceived as being fixed by the general law.
  4. An annuity in which the periodic payments begin on a fixed date and continue indefinitely.

Pronunciation

/ˌpɜː(ɹ)pɪˈtjuːɪti/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-perpetuity.wav /ˌpɝpəˈtuːɪti/

Word forms

perpetuity perpetuities

Etymology

From Middle English perpetuitee, perpetuite, perpetuyte, from Old French perpetüité, ultimately from Latin perpetuitās.

Related words

Perpetuity in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
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