English Explanatory Dictionary

perennial

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Lasting or remaining active throughout the year, for multiple years, or all the time.
  2. Continuing without cessation or intermission for several years, or for an undetermined or infinite period; never-ending or never failing; perpetual, unceasing.
  3. Appearing or recurring again and again; recurrent.
  4. Appearing again each year; annual.
  5. Of a plant: active throughout the year, or having a life cycle of more than two growing seasons.
noun
  1. A plant that is active throughout the year, or has a life cycle of more than two growing seasons.
  2. A thing that lasts forever.
  3. A person or thing (such as a problem) that appears or returns regularly.

Pronunciation

/pəˈɹɛn.ɪ.əl/ /pəˈɹɛn.j(ə)l/ /pəˈɹɛn.i.əl/ En-us-perennial.ogg

Word forms

perennial perennials

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin perennis (“lasting through the whole year or for several years, perennial; continual, everlasting, perpetual”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Perennis is derived from per- (“completive or intensifying prefix with the sense of doing something all the way through or entirely”) + annus (“year; season, time”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et- (“to go”)). By surface analysis, per- + -ennial. The noun is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Middle French pérenne (modern French pérenne (“lasting through the whole year, perennial”)) * Italian perenne (“lasting for a long time”) * Spanish perenne (“eternal; permanent; a perennial plant”)

Synonyms

multiyear yearslong perennal continual enduring everlasting permanent timeless ageful agelong amaranthine celestial endless eternal eterne everduring evergreen eviternal forever heavenly imperishable indesinent lasting never-ending perennial perpetual perpetuate persistent sempiternal unending undeadly undying repetitious habitual monotonous recurrent recurring repeating repetitional repetitionary repetitive

Related words

perennate perennating perennation perennious perennity

Derived words

nonperennial perennialism perennialist perenniality perennialization perennialize perennially perennialness perennial philosophy perenniation hardy perennial

Translations

Danish: tilbagevendende Finnish: toistuva German: wiederkehrend Italian: ricorrente Polish: częsty Polish: powracający Polish: powtarzający się Russian: повторя́ющийся Russian: возвраща́ющийся Turkish: periodik Turkish: yinelenen
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