perseverance

noun

per·​se·​ver·​ance ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s How to pronounce perseverance (audio)
Synonyms of perseverance
: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness
His perseverance was rewarded: after many rejections, he finally found a job.
The road to the American dream was supposed to be built on perseverance and hard work.—Ms. Guzman
Aaliyah and her artistry live on as a symbol of perseverance.—Julian Kimble

Examples of perseverance in a Sentence

The great international collectors and curators, once celebrated for their perceptiveness and perseverance, are now regularly deplored as traffickers in, or receivers of, stolen goods. —Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Review of Books, 9 Feb. 2006
… a cavalcade of black and brown and female faces spinning stories of hardship and triumph through perseverance. —Michelle Cottle, New Republic, 14 Aug. 2000
… he had no-nonsense coaches with hearts of gold who taught him discipline; he learned perseverance from a father who sent him back out to fight after he took a licking … —Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 14 Dec. 1998
His perseverance was rewarded: after many rejections, he finally found a job. Perseverance is required to perfect just about any skill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His remarks later shifted toward perseverance and remaining positive through difficult circumstances. — Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 As Denny faces heartbreak, loss, and life-changing challenges, Enzo shares lessons about love, loyalty, perseverance, and the belief that a dog’s soul can become human. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026 Survival is a fitting theme for a restaurant that has shape-shifted numerous times over the past eight years in search of solid ground, and for a chef whose own story of perseverance is ever present in his cooking. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 In a profoundly prolific decade, Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett has refined a soulful country purview, crooning sweetly about love and perseverance in misfortune and yielding rave reviews and Grammy nominations. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perseverance

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perseveraunce, borrowed from Anglo-French parseverance, parsevrance, borrowed from Latin persevērantia, noun derivative of persevērant-, persevērans "persisting in a course of action, steadfast," from present participle of persevērāre "to persist in a course of action or an attitude in spite of opposition, keep on" — more at persevere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perseverance was in the 14th century

Rhymes for perseverance

See All Rhymes for perseverance

Browse Nearby Words

Perseus
perseverance
perseverando
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perseverance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

perseverance

noun
per·​se·​ver·​ance ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s How to pronounce perseverance (audio)
: the action, state, or an instance of persevering

More from Merriam-Webster on perseverance

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perseverance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All