The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Persistence \Per*sist"ence\, Persistency \Per*sist"en*cy\, n.
   [See Persistent.]
   1. The quality or state of being persistent; staying or
      continuing quality; hence, in an unfavorable sense,
      doggedness; obstinacy.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The continuance of an effect after the cause which first
      gave rise to it is removed; as:
      (a) (Physics) The persistence of motion.
      (b) (Physiol.) Visual persistence, or persistence of the
          visual impression; auditory persistence, etc.
          [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

persistence
    n 1: the property of a continuous and connected period of time
         [syn: continuity, persistence]
    2: persistent determination [syn: doggedness, perseverance,
       persistence, persistency, tenacity, tenaciousness,
       pertinacity]
    3: the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating
       behavior; "his perseveration continued to the point where it
       was no longer appropriate" [syn: perseverance,
       persistence, perseveration]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

persistence
persistent

   1.  A property of a programming language where
   created objects and variables continue to exist and retain
   their values between runs of the program.

   2.  The length of time a phosphor dot on the screen
   of a cathode ray tube will remain illuminated after it has
   been energised by the electron beam.  Long-persistence
   phosphors reduce flicker, but generate ghost-like images that
   linger on screen for a fraction of a second.

   (1994-11-09)