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 temporary shelter led to a 65% reduction in encampments, served 95 people and helped 14 households transition to permanent housing in its first year of operation, according to Bontrager and a City Council staff report. Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In the wake of the artist’s death, publications are already rushing to point fans to permanent Infinity Mirror installations. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 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
  • Rusty Chocolate Ella Bright has cemented her status as an eternal fall muse, thanks in no small part to her Off Campus success.
    Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But that eternal quest for blockbusters gives the impression that anything called a best-seller is widely influential, while all else is dismissed.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 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
  • Here is Dolly Parton’s immortal music legacy in 10 essential songs.
    Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Capturing an immortal photograph of jazz legends In 1958, photographer Art Kane assembled many of the greatest legends in jazz on a brownstone stoop in Harlem; his picture became one of the most famous images ever taken of artistic royalty.
    David Morgan, CBS News, 21 Aug. 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
  • The objective is not more thinking, longer timelines or endless analysis.
    Mustafa Shreet, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Then there’s the endless rotation of celebrities playing themselves.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Layers are everywhere in 2026, but this time the haircut is being imagined as less edgy and a bit softer—more flowing, more subtle.
    Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The deal will accelerate that period to just two years and reduce the haircut to 5%.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Here, the perpetual journey leaves infinite imprints with travelers.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • With the rapid growth of crypto asset derivatives, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, recently approved select platforms to offer perpetual futures products.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Parton was a larger-than-life personality who was known for her glitzy costumes, voluptuous figure, and bouffant hairstyle.
    Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Other footballers found changing hairstyles similarly painless.
    Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Permanent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permanent. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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