permanent
Americanadjective
-
existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.
- Synonyms:
- constant, invariable, stable
- Antonyms:
- inconstant, temporary
-
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.
-
long-lasting or nonfading.
permanent pleating; permanent ink.
noun
adjective
-
existing or intended to exist for an indefinite period
a permanent structure
-
not expected to change for an indefinite time; not temporary
a permanent condition
Other Word Forms
- nonpermanent adjective
- nonpermanently adverb
- permanently adverb
- permanentness noun
- pseudopermanent adjective
- quasi-permanent adjective
- quasi-permanently adverb
- subpermanent adjective
- subpermanently adverb
- unpermanent adjective
- 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”; per-, remain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said new tariff investigations would be launched under the act and lead to more permanent levies.
He cast the ruling as a technical, not permanent setback, for his trade policy, insisting that the “end result is going to get us more money.”
From Los Angeles Times
And in a memo released this week, the agency said agents are authorized to detain refugees who have not yet filed applications for lawful permanent residence after their first year in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times
The Chagossians arrived on a remote part of the archipelago on Monday after sailing from Sri Lanka, with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement on their "homeland".
From BBC
A Texas judge eventually granted a permanent injunction mandating that the engineer delete and stop publishing Google secrets.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
