different between constancy vs perseverance

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin constantia.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?nsi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?nsi/
• Hyphenation: con?stan?cy

Noun

constancy (usually uncountable, plural constancies)

1. (uncountable) The quality of being constant; steadiness or faithfulness in action, affections, purpose, etc.
   • c. 1605, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene 2, [1]

     A little water clears us of this deed: / How easy is it, then! Your constancy / Hath left you unattended.

   • 1871, Charles Darwin, Descent of Man, chapter 7 "On the Races of Man,"

     Constancy of character is what is chiefly valued and sought for by naturalists.
2. (countable) An unchanging quality or characteristic of a person or thing.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well, Act 1, scene ii:

     younger spirits . . .

     whose constancies

     Expire before their fashions.

Related terms

• constant
• constantly

Translations

References

• Webster, Noah (1828) , “constancy”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language
• constancy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “constancy” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.

English

Alternative forms

• perseveraunce (archaic)

Etymology

From Old French perseverance, from Latin perseverantia

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??s??v????ns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p?s??v???ns/
• Rhymes: -????ns
• Hyphenation: per?se?ve?rance

Noun

perseverance (usually uncountable, plural perseverances)

1. Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:perseverance

   • 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage

     It had taken nine years from the evening that Truman first showed up with a pie plate at her mother's door, but his dogged perseverance eventually won him the hand of his boyhood Sunday school crush.

Related terms

• persevere
• perseverance of the saints
• perseverant

Translations

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French perseverance

Noun

perseverance f (uncountable)

1. perseverance