enduring

Enduring is an adjective meaning lasting for a long time or continuing over an extended period. It can describe objects, events, or qualities that persist beyond the present moment, as in enduring traditions, enduring memories, or an enduring concern. The term often carries connotations of resilience or perseverance, highlighting endurance through difficulty or change. Enduring can also describe a person’s stamina or a system's capacity to function over time.

As a verb, enduring is the present participle of endure, meaning to withstand hardship, tolerate pain, or bear a burden with patience. This sense emphasizes process and persistence rather than a single moment of existence.

Etymology traces enduring to Old French endurer, from Latin durare meaning to harden or last, with the sense shifting toward lasting endurance over time. Related forms include endurance (the noun for the capacity to endure) and endurable or durable, which describe something capable of withstanding wear or continued use. Enduring is often contrasted with fleeting, transient, or ephemeral.

In usage, enduring is common across domains such as literature, history, and everyday speech. Phrases like enduring love, an enduring legacy, or enduring difficulties convey lasting impact and resilience. In philosophy, enduring (endurantism) refers to a view about how objects persist through time, contrasting with perdurantism, which posits that objects have temporal parts.

See also: Endurance, Perseverance, Durability, Endurable.