persistence

persistence — noun

1. the quality of keeping on with a plan or task when it is hard and other people m

1.nounC1
Definition

the quality of keeping on with a plan or task when it is hard and other people may want you to stop

Example

Rina's persistence got the village clinic to reopen on Fridays.

someone's persistence + result

After six failed tests, Omar's persistence finally fixed the old radio.

Common collocations
  • show persistence
  • great persistence
  • persistence in training
  • years of persistence
  • reward persistence
Synonyms
  • perseverance

    often suggests long, steady effort toward a difficult goal

  • determination

    focuses more on strength of purpose than on repeated setbacks

  • tenacity

    stresses a firm, tough refusal to let go

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

someone's persistence

persistence in + gerund

with persistence

years of persistence

Usage Note

Usually used for a person's or group's effort, often in a possessive phrase such as 'her persistence' or with 'in' before an activity. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about active effort toward a goal, not simply something continuing to exist.

Common Mistakes

Her persistence to finish the race impressed us.
Her persistence in finishing the race impressed us.
After 'persistence', use 'in' before an activity.
He is persistence when homework is hard.
He is persistent when homework is hard.
'persistence' is a noun; 'persistent' is the adjective.

2. the fact that something stays present, active, or unchanged for a long time

2.nounC2
Definition

the fact that something stays present, active, or unchanged for a long time

Example

Doctors worry about the persistence of a cough after the fever ends.

the persistence of + noun

A museum project recorded the persistence of harvest songs in village weddings.

Common collocations
  • persistence of symptoms
  • persistence of poverty
  • persistence of tradition
  • persistence over time
Synonyms
  • continuance

    formal and focused on something going on without stopping

  • endurance

    often stresses lasting through pressure or damage

  • survival

    stronger and more about avoiding disappearance or destruction

Antonyms
  • disappearance

    the state of no longer being present

  • ending

    the point when something stops existing or stops continuing

Grammar Patterns

the persistence of + noun

persistence for + period

persistence into + later time

Usage Note

Most often used with 'of' before the thing that continues, especially a problem, smell, disease, weather condition, custom, or market. Distinguish from sense 1: there is no idea of human effort here, only the fact that something has lasted.

Common Mistakes

We studied the persistence local songs.
We studied the persistence of local songs.
This sense usually takes 'of' before the thing that continues.
Her persistence of the pain worried us.
The persistence of the pain worried us.
In this sense, 'persistence' names the continuing condition itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Persistence is the broadest word here for not stopping after delay, failure, or opposition. Perseverance is close, but it often sounds more positive and steady, especially for a long difficult process such as training or study. Determination focuses on strong purpose and decision; someone can show determination before the hard part even begins. Tenacity stresses holding on tightly and can sound tougher or slightly stubborn. A student who keeps sending scholarship applications shows persistence. A swimmer training every winter morning shows perseverance. A manager refusing to drop a risky plan may show determination, or perhaps too much tenacity.

persistence ↗perseverancedetermination ↗tenacity

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Persistence entered English in the 1500s through French from the verb 'persist'. Its spelling was also shaped by a Latin form meaning 'continuing firmly' or 'staying steady'. That history matches the two main modern ideas: a person keeps going through difficulty, or a condition, custom, or problem lasts for a long time.