perennial

American  

[puh-ren-ee-uhl] / pəˈrɛn i əl /

adjective

1. 

   lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring.

   As my grandmother aged, I marveled at her perennial beauty.

   Synonyms:

   continual, incessant, constant, perdurable

2. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years.

3. lasting or continuing throughout the entire year.

   The interpretive boardwalk follows a perennial stream through the marsh to the lake.

4. arising repeatedly or always existing; perpetual; recurrent.

   Tie dye is a perennial hit with children of all ages.

   The perennial rivalry between the two colleges ramps up during football season.

   Synonyms:

   immortal, eternal, undying, imperishable

5. Sometimes Perennial relating to or being an older person, especially one whose mindset, lifestyle, skills, or interests defy generational labels and stereotypes; ageless.

   Many companies are seeking to retain their perennial workers so as not to lose institutional history.

   This writer is a Perennial thinker, which is why he is successful and yet not really popular.

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noun

• perennials
  plural

1. a plant with a life cycle lasting more than two years.

   Daffodils and tulips are perennials.

2. something that is continuing, recurring, or enduring.

   Classical literature remains a perennial in liberal arts classrooms.

3. Sometimes Perennial an older person, especially one whose mindset, lifestyle, skills, or interests defy generational labels and stereotypes.

   At 81, the mayor calls herself a Perennial with no plans to retire.

perennial British  

/ pəˈrɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. lasting throughout the year or through many years

2. everlasting; perpetual

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noun

1. a woody or herbaceous plant that can continue its growth for at least two years Compare annual biennial

perennial Scientific  

/ pə-rĕn′ē-əl /

1. Living for three or more years.

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1. A perennial plant. Herbaceous perennials survive winter and drought as underground roots, rhizomes, bulbs, corms, or tubers. Woody perennials, including vines, shrubs, and trees, usually stop growing during winter and drought. Asters, irises, tulips, and peonies are familiar garden perennials.

2. Compare annual biennial

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• perenniality
  noun
• perennially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perennials
  plural

Etymology

Origin of perennial

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin perenni(s) “lasting the whole year through” ( per- per- ( def. ) + -enn-, stem of annus “year” + -is, adjective suffix) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Perennial typically describes things that are permanent, constant, or repeated. If you fight with your parents every year over whether they really must invite your annoying cousins for Thanksgiving, you could call that a perennial conflict. Arguing with your roommate about who cleaned the bathroom last time might be a perennial argument. There is also a perennial plant, which lasts more than two years and usually reappears each spring, because it produces flowers and seeds from the same root structure. Perennial comes from the Latin perennis, from the prefix per-, "through," plus annus, or "year." Annus is also the source of our English word annual — an annual plant lives only one year or season.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perennial perennials

With the upheaval and restructuring in Welsh rugby, the perennial talking point of turning the Prem into an Anglo-Welsh league reared its head over the summer.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Measuring and managing the ROI of AI investments is a perennial focus for CFOs, which is why I was struck by several comments from corporate executives speaking at our summit this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

While surprises are always possible, Rosen predicts a major awards haul for "Widow's Bay," surpassing all competitors including the final season of the perennial favorite "Hacks."

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

This image of hero worship anchors Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s staggeringly lovely “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” an indie take on the perennial saga of lost men struggling to return home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Then the conversation turned to a perennial favorite among hikers—how crowded the trail had become.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Some are shifting to Mediterranean plants, Bennellick said, "more grasses, more herbaceous perennials that can survive the drought conditions".

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Where there had been a jungle of weeds and vines, perennials and annuals bloomed thanks to avid volunteer gardeners and contributions from locals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

This year's guest list was conspicuously missing screen stars or celebrity faces, with not even royal perennials like Sir David Beckham or Sir Elton John attending.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025

After the seeds have a chance to grow and energize the soil, the mature native shrubs and perennials will be planted, probably in mid-May, Rock said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2025

The air had died in the cypresses in the courtyard, in the pale trappings of the bedrooms, in the dripping archways of the garden of perennials.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• chronic
• continual
• continuing
• eternal
• never-ending
• persistent
• recurrent
• seasonal