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perennial

adjective
pe·​ren·​ni·​al | \ pÉ™-ˈre-nÄ“-É™l How to pronounce perennial (audio) \

Definition of perennial

1 : present at all seasons of the year
2 : persisting for several years usually with new herbaceous growth from a perennating part perennial asters
3a : 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
Other Words from perennial Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about perennial

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Other Words from perennial

perennial noun
perennially \ pÉ™-​ˈre-​nÄ“-​É™-​lÄ“ How to pronounce perennially (audio) \ adverb

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

Did You Know?

Nowadays when we talk about "perennial plants," or simply "perennials" ("perennial" can be a noun, too), we mean plants that die back seasonally but produce new growth in the spring. But originally "perennial" was equivalent to "evergreen," used for plants that remain with us all year. We took this "throughout the year" sense straight from the Romans, whose Latin 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" (water source), and the scholar Pliny used it of birds that don't migrate. Our "perennial" retains these same uses, for streams and occasionally for birds, but it has long had extended meanings, too.

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 For this particular table, my interest was tying together three of my perennial neutrals: blue and white, bamboo, and my signature pattern. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Setting the Mood: 6 Tastemakers Create Their Dream Summer Table Settings," 29 Aug. 2019 Because while the obvious comparisons to the perennial College Football Playoff contending Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are naturally obvious, in reality what Cristobal is truly modeling Oregon after most-closely is Clemson. — oregonlive, "Will Mario Cristobal’s belief in where the Oregon Ducks are headed converge with where they are in season opener against Auburn?," 29 Aug. 2019 McGill-Toolen rolled past perennial Class 6A power Spanish Fort 37-7, while Murphy rallied to beat Baldwin County – another Class 6A team – 19-7. — Ben Thomas | [email protected], al, "Rivalry renewed: McGill-Toolen, Murphy open 7A, 1 play in Battle for the Cannon," 27 Aug. 2019 Before the final whistle blew in Saturday's game against the Bears, news leaked out that perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck had made the franchise-altering decision to walk away from the NFL. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "3 things to watch as Colts take on Bengals in final preseason game," 27 Aug. 2019 Elkins, itself a perennial playoff team, returns 14 starters and could be a factor in the race for first place. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "Ridge Point, Marshall football teams look to remain on top in district," 26 Aug. 2019 After winning their fourth state title in five years, the Raiders may have established themselves as one the perennial powerhouse programs in Florida last season. — Brett Shweky, sun-sentinel.com, "St. Thomas Aquinas must have a ‘smooth transition’ to repeat as state champions," 24 Aug. 2019 Since Islamic State’s defeat in Iraq in 2017, there have been perennial calls for U.S. forces to leave. — Los Angeles Times, "Iraqis, bristling over Israeli airstrike, renew call for U.S. troops to get out," 23 Aug. 2019 A year after upstart River Falls shocked the Big Rivers Conference by winning the outright title, the conference figures to return to status quo with perennial powers Menomonie and Hudson battling it out for the top spot. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, "Western Wisconsin high school football: Things to watch this season," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perennial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of perennial

circa 1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for perennial

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

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More Definitions for perennial

perennial

adjective
How to pronounce perennial (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of perennial

of a plant : living for several years or for many years : having a life cycle that is more than two years long
: existing or continuing in the same way for a long time
: happening again and again

See the full definition for perennial in the English Language Learners Dictionary

perennial

adjective
pe·​ren·​ni·​al | \ pÉ™-ˈre-nÄ“-É™l How to pronounce perennial (audio) \

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