persists

Persists is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb persist. It generally means to continue to exist, endure, or remain committed to a course of action despite obstacles or opposition. The term can describe ongoing conditions, unresolved problems, or sustained efforts. For example, a problem may persist after an attempt to fix it, or a person may persist in pursuing a goal despite setbacks. In medical and scientific contexts, symptoms, effects, or contaminants can persist over time.

Etymology and usage notes: Persist comes from the Latin persistere, from per- “through” plus sistere “to stand.” The form persits is simply the conjugation for he, she, it, or a singular noun in English. The sense overlaps with related terms such as endure, continue, and persevere, but persists emphasizes a through-line or ongoing persistence rather than a one-time action.

Contexts and related ideas: In psychology, persistence refers to the trait of continuing effort despite difficulties. In environmental science or toxicology, persistence describes how long a substance remains in an environment. In computing and data management, persistence (and the related verb persist) describes the storage of data beyond the lifetime of a program or process, ensuring information remains available through non-volatile storage or databases.

See also: persistence, persistent, persevere. These terms share a common core about continuing through time or through challenges, with nuances depending on context.