What does perseverance mean?

Question

i have a summer reading assignment and I have to know what perseverance means, but I don't. Please help me 

Answer 1

Persevere comes from the Latin words "per" and "assevero".  Per means" through (space) or during (time)".  Assevero means to "act earnestly, assert strongly, be serious, and emphatically declare".  www.latin-dictionary.org

When searching for word meanings, it helps to know the etymology.  Etymologies are not definitions.  They are word origins that help you understand the definition or connotation of a word. Use a combination of the definition and etymology to really understand a word.

Answer 2

Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering

 

In other words: the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance