permutation
noun
Did you know?
“Ch-ch-changes!” David Bowie sang memorably in his classic (and appropriately titled) hit “Changes,” which concerns the phenomenon of artistic reinvention—something Bowie knew a lot about. In fact, he could have titled the song “Permutations,” though we admit that the word would have been a bit clunkier to sing. Permutation is, after all, all about change—specifically change (as in character or condition) of something based primarily on rearrangement of its existing elements. For example, Bowie’s artistic persona went through many permutations over the course of his career, from the alien rock star Ziggy Stardust to the aristocratic Thin White Duke, with the common denominator—the existing elements—being Bowie himself. (Permutation can also be used for a form or variety resulting from such changes, and can thus refer to Bowie’s individual personae as well.) Permutation, perhaps ironically, has not changed all that much since it was borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-French as permutacioun.
Examples of permutation in a Sentence
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
Chemistry does not necessarily abound, apart from Hunt and Ellis, but permutations certainly do.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 2 June 2026
In that film, a man and woman go through every permutation that kind of relationship can have.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 May 2026
Following Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph on Wednesday evening, there is a final permutation to consider.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for permutation
Cite this Entry
“Permutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permutation. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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permutation
noun
