Definition of "persistent" []

• Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately. (adjective)
• Insistently repetitive or continuous: a persistent ringing of the telephone. (adjective)
• Existing or remaining in the same state for an indefinitely long time; enduring: persistent rumors; a persistent infection. (adjective)
• Botany Lasting past maturity without falling off, as the calyx on an eggplant or the scales of a pine cone. (adjective)
• Zoology Retained permanently, rather than disappearing in an early stage of development: the persistent gills of fishes. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• " The classification - intermittent or persistent - leads us to the proper management and treatment of asthma  The basics: intermittent asthma = bronchodilators as needed persistent asthma = daily anti - inflammatory + bronchodilators as needed"
• "Ms. Massie called the city's 10-year time frame "laughable" because it is too slow to fix what she described as a persistent public-health threat."
• "Williams' wife and family will also appear to discuss what they call his persistent drinking and a Monday disturbance at a Los Angeles hotel where police briefly detained Williams and his daughter after a heated argument."