imperishable

American  

[im-per-i-shuh-buhl] / ɪmˈpɛr ɪ ʃə bəl /

adjective

1. not subject to decay; indestructible; enduring.

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imperishable British  

/ ɪmˈpɛrɪʃəbəl /

adjective

1. not subject to decay or deterioration

   imperishable goods

2. not likely to be forgotten

   imperishable truths

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Other Word Forms

• imperishability noun
• imperishableness noun
• imperishably adverb

Etymology

Origin of imperishable

First recorded in 1640–50; im- ² + perishable

Explanation

Anything imperishable is made to last, like a marble statue or true love. Imperishable things endure. To perish is to die. Things that are imperishable don't. You may have heard of perishable food, the kind that will go bad eventually, like fresh fruit or a ham sandwich. Imperishable foods will always be fine to eat, like a bag of dried beans. There can also be imperishable ideas and beliefs, like imperishable hope or imperishable truth. Certain heroes like James Bond seem to be imperishable, especially in the movie Never Say Die.

Example Sentences

In Mexico, far from the locus of her imperishable pain, Chaarte found moments of peace.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024

It is an imperishable, unforgettable image of what can be lost when we forget how perishable is the thin crust of civilization that protects us — until it doesn’t.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022

But Finland kept the most important, most imperishable thing: its full independence as a free, self-determining nation.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2022

Wedding-shower guests gift-wrapped imperishable bomb-shelter food like beans and crackers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2022

He laced to his feet the sandals of imperishable gold which bore him swift as a breath of air over sea and earth.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton