as in transience
the state or quality of lasting only for a short time
the ancient Roman ruins are a telling reminder of the impermanence of even the grandest man-made constructions
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Recent Examples of impermanence
Willed into existence by a dream rather than nature, there is something about its unique vulnerability to natural disasters that reflects its intrinsic sense of impermanence and optimism.
—
Ella Berman
august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
For all the impermanence — packing up and relocating just about every two years — Hutson said his upbringing was in many ways ideal, shaping his outlook to this day.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and authenticity—has long been a staple of international design discourse.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2025
Yet, Fujimoto also notes that impermanence has always been a feature of Japanese architecture.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impermanence
Ella Berman
august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
For all the impermanence — packing up and relocating just about every two years — Hutson said his upbringing was in many ways ideal, shaping his outlook to this day.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and authenticity—has long been a staple of international design discourse.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2025
Yet, Fujimoto also notes that impermanence has always been a feature of Japanese architecture.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impermanence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impermanence
Noun
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Much of Gilbert’s early work displays an awareness of both the profundity and the transience of romance, and of the many different universes that one life can open into or contain.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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The April cherry trees, with their brief pink opulence, seem infused with the spirit of mono no aware—the Japanese idea of the transience of things, the gentle sadness yet also the beauty of impermanence.—
Lauren Groff,
The Atlantic,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yet even in its ephemerality, dumb dumb culture can offer catharsis, laughter or distraction — which, in the right moment, can feel like salvation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
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In the 21st century, an array of avant-garde fashion designers have been drawn to the beauty and ephemerality of glass, which serves as a meta commentary on the transience of fashion—and life itself.—
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 July 2025
Noun
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But transiency in the back of the bullpen extends well beyond Woodward’s arrival.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
27 July 2022
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The council will hold a workshop outlining strategies and efforts to remedy homelessness and transiency in the city.—
Laura Groch,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2021
Noun
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To explain why a gag is funny is to crush its soufflé evanescence.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
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The Stranger with its exploration of another facet of exile and belonging, this time set on a flood-prone German island that exists in a perpetual struggle between evanescence and permanence.—
Jay D. Weissberg,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impermanence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impermanence. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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