perennial

[ puh-ren-ee-uhl ]

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.

noun

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

/ pəˈrɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. lasting throughout the year or through many years
2. everlasting; perpetual

noun

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

perennial

/ pə-rĕn′ē-əl /

Adjective

1. Living for three or more years.

Noun

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

Derived Forms

• perˈennially, adverb

Other Words From

• per·en·ni·al·i·ty [p, uh, -ren-ee-, al, -i-tee], noun
• per·en·ni·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of perennial¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of perennial¹

C17: from Latin perennis continual, from per through + annus year

Example Sentences

They were blessed with two of the top 10 quarterbacks ever, back to back, and they’ve been a perennial contender.

From Washington Post

Lou Williams, a perennial sixth man of the year candidate, has started slowly and has missed Montrezl Harrell, his longtime pick-and-roll partner.

From Washington Post

Simmons said Scott has broken what had become a troubling pattern in education giving — of the rich getting ever richer — a perennial trend that reinforces racial inequities.

From Washington Post

West won 60,160 votes in California as perennial candidate Roque de la Fuente’s candidate for vice president, but he didn’t ask to be put on that ballot and urged voters to write his name in for president instead.

From Washington Post

Zoom was the most-downloaded iPhone and iPad app of the year, beating perennial favorites like Instagram and YouTube.

From Vox

Their cases illustrate the perennial challenge of balancing ends and means in the complex world of intelligence operations.

From The Daily Beast

Iowa is a perennial swing state, and polls show the race in a virtual tie.

From The Daily Beast

And the omission or derision of dads in the parent (aka “mommy”) blogosphere is a perennial pet peeve.

From The Daily Beast

A perennial signature flavor is Flying Elvis: banana ice cream that contains peanut butter and chocolate chunks.

From The Daily Beast

For the GOP, all this raises a perennial question from the movie New Jack City: “Who else you got?”

From The Daily Beast

They foreclose without mercy, but that does not frighten their old patrons, who have the perennial optimism of the country.

From Project Gutenberg

As they went down into the valley of the Thyme, the babble of the stream rose into the air like a perennial laughter.

From Project Gutenberg

It was on the square of land where she had had her perennial bed for three years, and now she had decided to sow it down to grass.

From Project Gutenberg

Although the Nestor of composers, none equalled him in manly vigour and perennial youth.

From Project Gutenberg

In discussing literature, they spoke of the perennial stock-in-trade of the republic of letters—woman's sin.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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