Definition of permanentnext

permanent

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective permanent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of permanent are durable, lasting, and stable. While all these words mean "enduring for so long as to seem fixed or established," permanent adds usually the implication of being designed or planned to stand or continue indefinitely.

permanent living arrangements

When is it sensible to use durable instead of permanent?

Although the words durable and permanent have much in common, durable implies power to resist destructive agencies.

durable fabrics

When would lasting be a good substitute for permanent?

The words lasting and permanent can be used in similar contexts, but lasting implies a capacity to continue indefinitely.

a book that left a lasting impression on me

When is stable a more appropriate choice than permanent?

The meanings of stable and permanent largely overlap; however, stable implies lastingness because of resistance to being overturned or displaced.

a stable government

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of permanent
Adjective
The state’s politics could shift again In Youngstown, the union retirees who watched the Mahoning Valley shift toward Republicans aren’t convinced the movement is permanent. Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 When Hermès opened a long-term pop-up in Williamsburg three years ago, the plan was always to eventually open a permanent space. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
While Republicans made the tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, these minor tax cuts for a few ordinary Americans are short-lived. Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2025 If hotness is an effort to make the ephemeral permanent, then illness is a constant reminder of how nothing is forever. Michelle Santiago Cortés, refinery29.com, 26 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for permanent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permanent
Adjective
  • That's because the rims of the craters containing the pits of eternal darkness are in almost permanent sunlight.
    Martin Elvis, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • People who have lived even fragments of freedom together are harder to persuade that domination is eternal.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Between the football, the success and the fashionable perm, that was the kind of popularity that Machtig Maus (Mighty Mouse) had.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Randall got her first perm at seven years old and consistently relaxed her hair for nearly five decades.
    Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Bad habits fueled by longstanding trauma are damn near immortal.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2026
  • The artwork is crafted in the shape of a phoenix, an immortal, mythological bird that dies in flames before being reborn from the ashes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Fungal problems are common and some produce the mushroom growths called conks along limbs.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • The conk, the afro… and the jheri curl.
    Sonari Glinton, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • After a lengthy award season that included endless campaigning over two phases of voting, the 78th Primetime Emmys have finally arrived.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But that achievement — reaching endless intelligence improvements, generated by machines — could also drive intelligence growth beyond human control.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • To afford the next trip, 52% said eating out less would be worth it, while 40% were willing to cut back on haircuts.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Youth then cuts to Horgan’s protagonist, Alex, mid–brainless-social-media scroll, watching an AI video of someone giving a cockatiel a haircut.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Yet there remains a sense of remove in the production’s perpetual excitement at demonstrating just how well its own analog works.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Heat point guard Davion Mitchell has seemingly been anywhere and everywhere this summer, always in perpetual motion, burning calories, running down basketball courts and city streets.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Mackie is also credited as the first designer to work on a complete doll, from the makeup and fashion, to the hairstyles and body shape.
    Tim Chan, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The influencer showed off the fresh hairstyle ahead of her appearance at Paris Fashion Week.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Permanent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permanent. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster