The term perpetual motion, taken literally, refers to movement that goes on

forever. However, the term more commonly refers to any device or system that
perpetually (indefinitely) produces more energy than it consumes, resulting in a
net output of energy for indefinite time. The law of conservation of energy, which
states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, implies that such a perpetual
motion machine cannot exist.

The most commonly contemplated type of perpetual motion machine is a

mechanical system which (supposedly) sustains motion indefinitely, despite losing
energy to friction and air resistance. A second type of impossible "perpetual
motion machine" is one which does not violate conservation of energy, but
produces work by spontaneously extracting heat from its surroundings, thereby
cooling them down, and converting the heat energy into mechanical work. Such
machines are forbidden by the second law of thermodynamics.

A perpetual motion machine of the first kind produces energy from nothing,
giving the user unlimited 'free' energy. It thus violates the law of conservation of
energy.

A perpetual motion machine of the second kind is a machine which

spontaneously converts thermal energy into mechanical work. When the thermal
energy is equivalent to the work done, this does not violate the law of
conservation of energy