Two of my sisters keep saying perseverate, and I kept thinking it should be persevere, so I hadda take a look.
And whaddya know…they’re close in meaning and still not the same.
To perseverate is to keep on at something even though it’s not necessary. Much like that auntie who can’t stop talking about the good ol’ days. You know…the story you’ve heard ten million times.
To persevere is to keep on at something, determined to achieve the goal. Now, I suppose it’s possible that auntie is hoping to achieve a goal in cementing that story into your head, but she doesn’t realize you dream that story you’ve heard it so many times. If you could only tell her that she’s persevered long enough that you’re telling the story to others, and she can stop perseverating on it!
Word Confusions…
…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Perseverate | Persevere |
|---|---|
| Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com; Cambridge Dictionary: persevere; Dictionary.com: perseverate, persevere; Lexico.com: perseverate | |
ConversationDuty by Nina Paley is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — You know those people…the ones who perseverate and will not shut up! |
A Sailor and a Soldier Sprint to the Finish Line During the Run for Relief 5K Challenge, southern Mississippi, by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Demetrius Kennon, which is in the public domain courtesy of the US Navy, via Wikimedia Commons. — Both men have persevered. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Verb, intransitive
Third person present verb: perseverates |
Verb, intransitive & transitive
Third person present verb: perseveres |
| [Psychology] Repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance even after it’s no longer appropriate or necessary | Verb, intransitive: Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty, obstacles, discouragement, or with little or no prospect of success
To persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.
[Often followed by in] To show perseverance Verb, transitive: |
| Examples: | |
| They perseverate under stress.
Their parents perseverated in reminding the children of their responsibilities. Mother continues to perseverate on her terrible childhood. So he was compensating for the uncertainty factor by perseverating on the stressor with which he was at least already familiar — that stressor being work. I have a mild frontal lobe disorder that leads me to perseverate, and thus I’ve continued to work out the theory and do experiments anyway. |
Verb, intransitive: His family persevered with his treatment. It looks as if the policy will be a success, providing that the government perseveres and does not give in to its critics. The education director is persevering in his attempt to obtain additional funding for the school. Despite receiving little support, the women are persevering with their crusade to fight crime. Verb, transitive: |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: perseverative Noun: perseveration |
Adjective: persevering Adverb: perseveringly Noun: perseverance |
| History of the Word: | |
| Early 20th century, from the Latin perseverat- meaning strictly abided by, from the verb perseverare. | Late Middle English from the Old French perseverer, from the Latin perseverare meaning abide by strictly, from perseverus meaning very strict, from per- (thoroughly) + severus (severe). |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them…and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions by exploring the index. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, and/or the Properly Punctuated.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Which Way Does the Wind Blow?, 5 Feb 2010, Carquinez Straits Regional Park, California, by Nick Fullerton is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. The image was cropped to fit the space and lightened in Photoshop.
