perennial

adjective

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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 Sweltering classrooms are a perennial problem in Baltimore, which has some of the state’s oldest school buildings. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 9 June 2021 Sweltering classrooms are a perennial problem in Baltimore, which has some of the state’s oldest school buildings. — Lillian Reed, baltimoresun.com, 7 June 2021 The lack of affordable housing is a perennial problem in San Francisco, but especially so for District Eight, the city’s central sector that includes the Castro, Noe Valley, Diamond Heights and Glen Park neighborhoods. — Kellie Hwang, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 June 2021 The LiveWire is also a clever fix for a perennial Harley problem: Its bikes are too good. — Kyle Stock, Bloomberg.com, 25 Apr. 2021 Widespread misreporting of data, including of emissions in pilot carbon trading schemes, has been a perennial problem. — Scott Carpenter, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021 For Tillet, the uproar surrounding The Color Purple is just one instance of a perennial problem for Black women doing creative and political work at the intersection of gender and racial politics. — Jennifer Wilson, The New Republic, 1 Feb. 2021 Because so many more stories remain untold and because diversity is a perennial problem on the silver screen, this list represents just a sliver of the breadth of potential narratives that screenwriters can pull from. — Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Dec. 2020 Homelessness, a perennial problem in the city, prompts a constant barrage of complaints from residents, with no easy solutions. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2020

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.