perennial

adjective

pe·​ren·​ni·​al pə-ˈre-nē-əl How to pronounce perennial (audio)
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
perennially adverb

Did you know?

When you hear perennial, you probably think of peonies rather than pines. The word today typically describes (or, as a noun, refers to) plants that die back seasonally but produce new growth in the spring. But this wasn’t the word’s initial meaning: originally, perennial was equivalent to evergreen, used, as that word is, for plants that remain with us all year. We took this "throughout the year" sense straight from the Romans, whose Latin word 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" (a water source), and the scholar Pliny used it of birds that don't migrate. Perennial retains these same uses today, for streams and occasionally for birds, but the word has long since branched out to encompass several other senses, including "constant" (as in "a perennial bestseller") and "recurring" (as in "the perennial joy of reading Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day").

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

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 Land1991
… 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 Housing is the perennial white whale, given how many buyers are bereft at the dearth of affordable options. Jane Thier, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 This perennial forms low mounds of pretty foliage, which is evergreen in places with mild winters. Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2024 Indictment details In the indictment, the department’s tax attorneys portrayed Rotta as a perennial tax dodger. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 That’s not to say your signature scent needs to be put on leave; ideally, that ol’ reliable cologne is a perennial player. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 In America’s grassy heartland, the typically dry and often windy Plains, a series of compounding extremes across seasons are creating ideal fire fuel conditions in perennial grasses. Eric Zerkel, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The summer rains foster growth of native perennial grasses that are also found throughout semi-arid areas of Arizona and New Mexico, said McAuliffe, senior research scientist and director emeritus at the Desert Botanical Garden. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 As a result, nearly half of the ultra-Orthodox community lives in poverty and relies on government welfare—an unsustainable economic course that is another perennial source of Israeli angst. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024 As for perennial nominees Bradley Cooper and Diane Warren, their elusive Oscar victories remain a subject of speculation. Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perennial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of perennial was circa 1660

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Dictionary Entries Near perennial

Cite this Entry

“Perennial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perennial. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

perennial

1 of 2 adjective
pe·​ren·​ni·​al
pə-ˈren-ē-əl
1
: present at all seasons of the year
perennial springs
2
: living for several years usually with new leafy growth produced from the base each year
perennial daisies
3
b
: recurrent
flooding is a perennial problem
perennially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb

perennial

2 of 2 noun
: a perennial plant

Medical Definition

perennial

adjective
pe·​ren·​ni·​al pə-ˈren-ē-əl How to pronounce perennial (audio)
: present at all seasons of the year
perennial rhinitis

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