Main Entry: pe·ren·ni·al

Pronunciation: \pə-ˈre-nē-əl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Latin perennis, from per- throughout + annus year — more at per-, annual

Date: 1644

1 : present at all seasons of the year
2 : persisting for several years usually with new herbaceous growth from a perennating part <perennial asters>
3 a : persistent, enduring <perennial favorites> b : continuing without interruption : constant, perpetual <the perennial quest for certainty> <a perennial student> c : regularly repeated or renewed : recurrent <death is a perennial literary theme>

synonyms see continual

— perennial noun

— pe·ren·ni·al·ly \-nē-ə-lē\ adverb