<p><strong>Verb (used without object)</strong></p><ul><li>to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc.: to persist in working for world peace; to persist in unpopular political activities.</li><li>to last or endure tenaciously: The legend of King Arthur has persisted for nearly fifteen centuries.</li><li>to be insistent in a statement, request, question, etc.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used with object)</strong></p><ul><li>Computers. to cause (a record, configuration, value, etc.) to be written to permanent storage by the scripted process that created it, so that it continues to exist in the same state after the script has finished running.</li></ul>