sempiternal
Meaning: Eternal and unchanging; everlasting. A literary and philosophical term that is more precise than 'eternal' in implying duration throughout all time rather than existence outside time.
Sempiternal is a rare and distinctly elevated word that appears primarily in philosophical, theological, and literary writing. In scholastic philosophy, it is distinguished from 'eternal': God is eternal (existing outside time altogether), while the universe might be sempiternal (existing within time but lasting forever). In practice, most modern writers use it as a stylish synonym for 'everlasting,' often with a slightly ironic or self-aware flourish. It signals that the writer is reaching for a register above ordinary prose.
Examples
- The poet invoked the sempiternal cycle of the seasons as a metaphor for the persistence of human hope. 诗人援引四季永恒的循环作为人类希望永存的隐喻。El poeta invocó el sempiterno ciclo de las estaciones como metáfora de la persistencia de la esperanza humana.その詩人は、人間の希望の永続性の隠喩として、四季の永遠の循環を引き合いに出した。그 시인은 인간 희망의 영속성에 대한 은유로 사계절의 영원한 순환을 인용했다.
- Theologians debated whether the soul was truly eternal or merely sempiternal — enduring through time but not beyond it. 神学家们辩论灵魂究竟是真正永恒的还是仅仅是永续的——在时间中延续但非超越时间。Los teólogos debatían si el alma era verdaderamente eterna o meramente sempiterna, perdurando en el tiempo pero no más allá de él.神学者たちは、魂が真にeternalなのか、それとも単にsempiternalなのか——時間を通じて持続するが時間を超えてはいないのか——を議論した。신학자들은 영혼이 진정으로 eternal한 것인지, 아니면 단지 sempiternal한 것인지 — 시간을 통해 지속되지만 시간을 초월하지는 않는 것인지 — 를 논쟁했다.
- The sempiternal drizzle of a Welsh November made the countryside feel as though it existed outside of time altogether. 威尔士十一月永无止境的毛毛雨使乡村仿佛完全存在于时间之外。La sempiterna llovizna de un noviembre galés hacía que el campo pareciera existir enteramente fuera del tiempo.ウェールズの11月の絶え間ない霧雨は、田園風景がまるで時間の外に存在しているかのような印象を与えた。웨일스 11월의 끝없는 이슬비는 시골 풍경이 마치 시간 바깥에 존재하는 듯한 느낌을 주었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: literary, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin sempiternalis, from sempiternus (everlasting), from semper (always) and aeternus (eternal). Entered English in the 15th century via scholastic Latin.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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