perennial

pe·ren·ni·al

adj \pə-ˈre-nē-əl\

Definition of PERENNIAL

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>

— perennial noun

— pe·ren·ni·al·ly \-nē-ə-lē\ adverb

Examples of PERENNIAL

1. This variety of oregano is perennial.
2. Flooding is a perennial problem for people living by the river.
3. The problem … is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians. —Michael Kinsley, Time, 29 Oct. 2001
4. … scientists are warning that a perennial viral threat, the upcoming flu season, could be far more dangerous than usual—more evidence that these tiny foes are responsible for a large share of human suffering. —Claudia Wallis, Time, 3 Nov. 1986
5. The issue between science and art is of perennial interest to me, since I started off in science in college, in medicine, was headed for psychiatry, and ended up writing novels … —Walker Percy, “The State Of The Novel,” 1977, in Signposts in a Strange Land, 1991

Origin of PERENNIAL

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

First Known Use: 1644

Related to PERENNIAL

Synonyms: ageless, continuing, dateless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, ongoing, abiding, perpetual, timeless, undying

Related Words: ceaseless, endless, permanent; changeless, constant, stable, stationary, steady, unchanging, unvarying

Near Antonyms: antiquated, archaic, dated, obsolete, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé

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See Synonym Discussion at continual

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

Rhymes with PERENNIAL

biennial, centennial, decennial, millennial, quadrennial, quinquennial, septennial, triennial, vicennial