Sempiternal

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ËŒsÉ›m.pɪˈtəː.nÉ™l/
• US IPA: /ËŒsÉ›m.pɪˈtɝ.nÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)nÉ™l

Origin

From Medieval Latin sempiternālis, from Latin sempiternus, a contraction of semperæternus, from semper ("always") + æternus ("eternal"). Possibly via French sempiternel.

Full definition of sempiternal

Adjective

1. Seemingly everlasting or eternal.
• 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, "",The one thing which we seek with insatiable desire is ... to lose our sempiternal memory and to do something without knowing how or why; in short to draw a new circle.
• 2008, Shivangi Singh, " A sneak-peek at 'just friends' of filmdom!", ZeeNews, August 2,... but in filmdom, the sempiternal question continues: Can a male and female actor be just 'good friends'?
2. (philosophy) everlasting, that is having infinite temporal duration; as opposed to eternal, outside time and thus lacking temporal duration

Related terms

• sempitern
• sempiternally
• sempiternity

Antonyms

• eternal

Anagrams

• intersample
• planimeters