persist

Persist is a verb meaning to continue to exist or endure over time, or to continue an action despite obstacles. In common usage, something that persists endures or remains in effect. The noun form persistence denotes the quality of continuing steadfastly. The term is often used interchangeably with perseverance, though persistence can emphasize continued existence or occurrence, while perseverance stresses sustained effort toward a goal. The related adjective persistent describes someone or something that endures or continues to act.

Etymology: persist derives from Latin persistere, from ad + sistere, meaning to stand firm. The word entered English in the medieval period and has since broadened to many specialized senses.

In computing, persistence refers to data remaining available after the process that created it stops running. Persistent data is stored in non-volatile storage such as databases, flat files, or cloud storage. Persistence mechanisms include serialization, database systems, and object-relational mapping. A persistence layer provides a durable representation of objects and state, enabling programs to restore prior conditions after shut down. Durability guarantees, such as those in ACID-compliant databases, help ensure data remains intact despite failures.

In psychology and everyday usage, persistence is a personality trait describing the tendency to continue pursuing goals despite setbacks. It is often linked to resilience and achievement and is distinguished from, though related to, perseverance and tenacity.