perennial

adjective

pe·ren·ni·al | \ 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

3a : 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

Other Words from perennial Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about perennial

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Choose the Right Synonym for perennial

continual, continuous, constant, incessant, perpetual, perennial mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence. continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence. continual showers the whole weekend continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension. football's oldest continuous rivalry constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence. lived in constant pain incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity. annoyed by the incessant quarreling perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration. a land of perpetual snowfall perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal. a perennial source of controversy

Did You Know?

Nowadays when we talk about "perennial plants," or simply "perennials" ("perennial" can be a noun, too), we mean plants that die back seasonally but produce new growth in the spring. But originally "perennial" was equivalent to "evergreen," used for plants that remain with us all year. We took this "throughout the year" sense straight from the Romans, whose Latin perennis combined "per-" ("throughout") with a form of "annus" ("year"). The poet Ovid, writing around the beginning of the first millennium, used the Latin word to refer to a "perennial spring" (water source), and the scholar Pliny used it of birds that don't migrate. Our "perennial" retains these same uses, for streams and occasionally for birds, but it has long had extended meanings, too.

Examples of perennial in a Sentence

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 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 … 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 This variety of oregano is perennial. Flooding is a perennial problem for people living by the river.

Recent Examples on the Web

Upon touch, the leaves of this perennial plant species close, appearing lifeless. — Raquel Reichard, Teen Vogue, "Art Collective Colectivo Moriviví is Painting Political Murals Throughout Puerto Rico," 4 Jan. 2019 Lewis’s muscular human, animal, and sometimes human-animal hybrid forms, like the landscape itself, reflects the perennial tension between the wild and the refined. — Pilar Guzmán, Condé Nast Traveler, "South Africa’s Other Big Five," 20 Dec. 2018 Puerto Rico’s perennial losses accelerated following Hurricane Maria. — Paul Overberg, WSJ, "U.S. Population Grew at Slowest Pace in More Than 80 Years," 19 Dec. 2018 Turbulence is aviation's perennial foe, no matter the aircraft. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "The 'Flex-Plane' Drone Flaps Its Wings Like a Pterodactyl," 28 Nov. 2018 In 2003, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich rescued a nearly broke Chelsea and spent enough of his own money to turn the club into a perennial contender. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Manchester City and the Decade That Changed the Premier League," 1 Sep. 2018 Or 2012 champion Brad Keselowski and perennial contender Denny Hamlin? — Michelle R. Martinelli, For The Win, "NASCAR's 'young guns' fire back after track exec blames them for sport's struggles," 6 July 2018 A year later, the Sea Kings finished as the runner-up to perennial league champion Irvine. — Andrew Turner, latimes.com, "Daily Pilot Wrestling Dream Team: Edison’s Elijah Palacio excelled in new home," 4 May 2018 Tannenbaum better know because time is ticking on this regime’s four-season shelf life to transform the Dolphins into a franchise that is viewed as a perennial playoff contender. — Omar Kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Kelly: After disappointing season, Dolphins must find playmakers in draft who can change trajectory of franchise | Commentary," 23 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perennial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.