Advertisement

Origin and history of perseverance

perseverance(n.)

mid-14c., perseveraunce "will or ability to persevere, tenacity," from Old French perseverance "persistence, endurance" (12c., Modern French persévérance) and directly from Latin perseverantia "steadfastness, constancy," from perseverant- past-participle stem of perseverare "continue steadfastly" (see persevere). From late 14c. as "quality or state of continuing or enduring."

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to perseverance

persevere(v.)

"to persist in what one has undertaken, to pursue steadily a design or course," late 14c., perseveren, from Old French perseverer "continue, persevere, endure" and directly from Latin perseverare "continue steadfastly, persist," from persevereus "very strict, earnest," from per "very" (see per) + severus "serious, grave, strict, austere," which is probably from PIE root *segh- "to have, hold," on the notion of "steadfastness, toughness." Related: Persevered; persevering.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    persistence
    1540s, "steady or firm adherence to or continuance in a state, course of action, or pursuit that has been entered upon, especially if more or less obstinate," from French persistance, from persistant "lasting, enduring, permanent," from Latin persistentem (nominative persistens),
    perseveration
    late 14c., perseveracioun "will to persevere;" early 15c., "duration, quality of persisting," from Old French perseveracion "persistence, stubbornness" (13c.) and directly from Latin perseverationem (nominative perseveratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of perseverar
    pore
    Especially, but not originally, "to read something with steady perseverance" (late 14c.), with on or over....
    blarney
    the word to the difficulty of the attempt to get close enough to the stone to kiss it: "to have ascended it, was proof of perseverance...
    Calvinism
    decree of God, by which he has determined in himself what he would have become of every individual of mankind"; and of perseverance...
    life
    Saxon lif "life, person, body," Dutch lijf "body," Old High German lib "life," German Leib "body"), properly "continuance, perseverance...
    determination
    mid-14c., determinacioun, "decision, sentence in a suit at law, definite or authoritative judicial settlement," from Old French déterminacion "determination, settlement, definition" (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin determinationem (nominative determinatio) "conclusion, bou
    tenacity
    early 15c., tenacite, "quality of holding firmly," from Old French ténacité (14c.) and directly from Latin tenacitas "an act of holding fast," from tenax (genitive tenacis) "holding fast, gripping, clingy; firm, steadfast," from tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch")
    purpose
    c. 1300, purpus, "intention, aim, goal; object to be kept in view; proper function for which something exists," from Anglo-French purpos, Old French porpos "an aim, intention" (12c.), from porposer "to put forth," from por- "forth" (from a variant of Latin pro- "forth;" see pur-)

    Share perseverance

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near perseverance
    Advertisement