perennial

adjective

pe·​ren·​ni·​al pə-ˈre-nē-əl 

1

: present at all seasons of the year

2

: persisting for several years usually with new herbaceous growth from a perennating part

perennial asters

3

a

: persistent, enduring

perennial favorites

b

: continuing without interruption : constant, perpetual

the perennial quest for certainty

a perennial student

c

: regularly repeated or renewed : recurrent

death is a perennial literary theme

perennial noun

perennially

pə-ˈre-nē-ə-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

When you hear perennial, you probably think of peonies rather than pines. The word today typically describes (or, as a noun, refers to) plants that die back seasonally but produce new growth in the spring. But this wasn’t the word’s initial meaning: originally, perennial was equivalent to evergreen, used, as that word is, for plants that remain with us all year. We took this "throughout the year" sense straight from the Romans, whose Latin word perennis combined per- ("throughout") with a form of annus ("year"). The poet Ovid, writing around the beginning of the first millennium, used the Latin word to refer to a "perennial spring" (a water source), and the scholar Pliny used it of birds that don't migrate. Perennial retains these same uses today, for streams and occasionally for birds, but the word has long since branched out to encompass several other senses, including "constant" (as in "a perennial bestseller") and "recurring" (as in "the perennial joy of reading Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day").

Synonyms

• abiding
• ageless
• continuing
• dateless
• enduring
• eternal
• everlasting
• immortal
• imperishable
• lasting
• ongoing
• perpetual
• timeless
• undying

Choose the Right Synonym for perennial

continual, continuous, constant, incessant, perpetual, perennial mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence.

continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence.

continual showers the whole weekend

continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension.

football's oldest continuous rivalry

constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence.

lived in constant pain

incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.

annoyed by the incessant quarreling

perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration.

a land of perpetual snowfall

perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal.

a perennial source of controversy

Examples of perennial in a Sentence

The problem … is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians. —Michael Kinsley, Time, 29 Oct. 2001

The issue between science and art is of perennial interest to me, since I started off in science in college, in medicine, was headed for psychiatry, and ended up writing novels … —Walker Percy, "The State Of The Novel," 1977, in Signposts in a Strange Land,  1991

… scientists are warning that a perennial viral threat, the upcoming flu season, could be far more dangerous than usual—more evidence that these tiny foes are responsible for a large share of human suffering. —Claudia Wallis, Time, 3 Nov. 1986

This variety of oregano is perennial.

Flooding is a perennial problem for people living by the river.

Recent Examples on the Web

Willie became a high-school history teacher, his students’ perennial favorite. —Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024

Martin's injury had fans wondering whether the perennial ironman would hang up his jersey once the 2024 season concluded. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

This perennial favorite about Ralphie’s quest for a Red Ryder BB gun was written and narrated by Jean Shepherd, who worked as a DJ on WCKY-AM, WSAI-AM, WKRC-AM and WLW radio from 1947-1954. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 6 Dec. 2024

The slowness of California’s vote-counting can be a perennial vexation for the rest of the country, particularly when the balance of power in the House is on the line. —Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin perennis, from per- throughout + annus year — more at per-, annual

First Known Use

circa 1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

perennial

1 of 2 adjective

pe·​ren·​ni·​al

pə-ˈren-ē-əl

1

: present at all seasons of the year

perennial springs

2

: living for several years usually with new leafy growth produced from the base each year

perennial daisies

3

a

: persistent sense 1, constant

b

: recurrent

flooding is a perennial problem

perennially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

perennial

2 of 2 noun

: a perennial plant

Medical Definition

perennial

adjective

pe·​ren·​ni·​al pə-ˈren-ē-əl 

: present at all seasons of the year

perennial rhinitis