Permian

[ pur-mee-uhn ]

adjective

1. Geology. noting or pertaining to a period of the Paleozoic Era occurring from about 280 to 230 million years ago and characterized by a profusion of amphibian species.

noun

1. Geology. the Permian Period or System.
2. Permic.

Permian

/ ˈpɜːmɪən /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or formed in the last period of the Palaeozoic era, between the Carboniferous and Triassic periods, which lasted for 60 000 000 years

noun

1. the Permian
   the Permian period or rock system

Permian

/ pûr′mē-ən /

1. The seventh and last period of the Paleozoic Era, from about 286 to 245 million years ago. During the Permian Period the supercontinent Pangaea, comprising almost all of today's landmasses, formed. Gymnosperms evolved, the first modern conifers appeared, and reptiles diversified. The Permian Period ended with the largest known mass extinction in the history of life. It wiped out nearly 90 percent of known marine life forms.
2. See Chart at geologic time

Other Words From

• post-Permi·an adjective
• pre-Permi·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Permian¹

First recorded in 1835–45; Perm + -ian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Permian¹

C19: after Perm , Russia

Example Sentences

Drilling for oil out at sea has become expensive compared with far more economical alternatives such as the fracking fields in the Permian Basin, which straddled Texas and New Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, the U.S. giants are sitting on record profits, giving them the firepower to acquire smaller drillers with operations in the oil-rich Permian Basin and in the Gulf of Mexico.

From New York Times

Scientists say the lizards are found only in the Permian Basin, the second-smallest range of any North American lizard.

From Seattle Times

Its layers of Permian to Early Triassic rocks hold the secrets of the Earth's ancient past, now thought to be ripe with organic material capable of producing natural gas.

From Science Daily

An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater -- or produced water -- is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report by the Texas Produced Water Consortium.

From Science Daily