pertinacious
adjective
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Remove the first syllable of pertinacious and say what remains out loud: you'll hear something that sounds a lot like the word tenacious, meaning "tending to adhere or cling." The similarity between pertinacious and tenacious isn't mere coincidence; both words derive from tenax, the Latin word for "tenacious," and ultimately from the verb tenēre, meaning "to hold." Another descendant of tenēre is tenure, a word that is typically used of the right to hold a job (especially a teaching position) for as long as desired.
Synonyms
Examples of pertinacious in a Sentence
Jess Bidgood, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Feb. 2023
Barletta’s pertinacious reputation on immigration, from his time as mayor of Hazleton to his four terms in the U.S. House, is at center stage this year in his campaign to defeat Sen. Bob Casey’s bid for a third term.
—Chris Brennan, Philly.com, 25 June 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pertinacious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pertinacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pertinacious. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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pertinacious
adjective
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