permanent

American  

[pur-muh-nuhnt] / ˈpɜr mə nənt /

adjective

1. existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.

   Synonyms:

   constant, invariable, stable

   Antonyms:

   inconstant, temporary

2. intended to exist or function for a long, indefinite period without regard to unforeseeable conditions.

   a permanent employee; the permanent headquarters of the United Nations.

3. long-lasting or nonfading.

   permanent pleating; permanent ink.

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noun

1. Also called permanent wave.  a wave or curl that is set into the hair by the application of a special chemical preparation and that remains for a number of months.

permanent British  

/ ˈpɜːmənənt /

adjective

1. existing or intended to exist for an indefinite period

   a permanent structure

2. not expected to change for an indefinite time; not temporary

   a permanent condition

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Other Word Forms

• permanentness
  noun
• nonpermanent
  adjective
• pseudopermanent
  adjective
• quasi-permanent
  adjective
• subpermanent
  adjective
• unpermanent
  adjective
• nonpermanently
  adverb
• permanently
  adverb
• quasi-permanently
  adverb
• subpermanently
  adverb
• unpermanently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of permanent

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin permanent-, stem of permanēns “remaining,” present participle of permanēre “to remain”; see per-, remain

Explanation

Something that’s permanent is constant and lasting, as opposed to temporary. Think twice about writing in permanent marker or getting a tattoo — both are just about impossible to erase. If you wait around for something permanent to change, you'll be there for a long time — maybe forever. That's because the adjective permanent is used to describe something that continues on into the foreseeable future without shifting, moving, or changing at all. You might also come across the noun permanent, which refers to a chemical treatment used to curl your hair. But please know that "perms" aren't really cool anymore.

Example Sentences

While the permanent office is being constructed, Morgan Stanley would invest around $96.9 million in a temporary office with a 52-month lease at 1445 Ross Avenue, according to the plan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Under that revision, the statutory upper limit for permanent residency applications will go up to 300,000 yen, 30 times the current cap of 10,000 yen.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Stock futures were falling on Sunday after tensions flared up between the U.S. and Iran even as the two sides met in Switzerland to hammer out a permanent peace deal.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” one advocacy group said in a statement, calling for permanent action to end carriage operations in the park.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026

Transcribing the oral number system into written form was a simple task: people just needed to figure out a coding method whereby scribes could set the numbers down in a more permanent form.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• durable
• enduring
• long-lasting
• perpetual
• stable