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 year2: 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