English

Noun

lastingness ‎(uncountable)

1. The property of lasting; duration, permanence.
   • 1590, Philip Sidney, The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, London: William Ponsonbie, Book I, p. 8,

     The lightes, doores and staires, rather directed to the use of the guest, then to the eye of the Artificer: and yet as the one cheefly heeded, so the other not neglected; each place handsome without curiositie, and homely without lothsomnes: not so daintie as not to be trode on, nor yet slubberd up with good felowshippe: all more lasting then beautifull, but that the consideration of the exceeding lastingnesse made the eye beleeve it was exceeding beautifull.

   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821, II.12:

     Now lastingnesse [transl. durée] is not an accession unto wisdome.

   • 1692, John Bunyan, Christ a Complete Saviour in George Offor (ed.), Little Books by John Bunyan, 1873, p. 121,

     The intercession of Christ, and the lastingness of it, is a sure token of the salvation of them that come unto God by him.

   • 1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Vintage International, 2001, Part One, Chapter 4,

     The Paradise Plums had dwindled substantially. So had the Mintips, a mint sweet with the elasticity and lastingness of rubber.

   • 2013, Adam Fleischer, “The 13 Best Rap Verses of 2013,” Complex, 23 December, 2013,

     There are any number of components that can contribute to a noteworthy verse. From the style to the substance, from the writing to the delivery, a lot is at play to create a lasting verse and its performance. That, that lastingness, that memorability (“quotability” is the word often used), that’s probably the best barometer. Can an artist write a rhyme, and recite in a way, that everyone will always remember?