What does "perennial" mean?
A plant that is active throughout the year, or has a life cycle of more than two growing seasons.
Perennial
/pəˈɹɛn.ɪ.əl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A plant that is active throughout the year, or has a life cycle of more than two growing seasons.
- Grammar: perennial is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abiding, age-long, aged, ageless.
- Useful contrasts: ephemeral, seasonable, acting turn.
- Usage evidence: The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich.
How to use "perennial"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "perennial" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "perennial" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "perennial" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "perennial" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "perennial" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abiding" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "perennial", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A plant that is active throughout the year, or has a life cycle of more than two growing seasons.
"One would have supposed from the appearance of the country at the end of the first season after the eruption that practically all plants except the trees and bushes had been destroyed, and that revegetation must be due to new seedlings started on the ash. Such, however, is not the case. Excavation of the root systems of the new plants shows that they are old perennials which have come through the ash from the old soil."
- 2 (botany) a plant lasting for three seasons or more wordnet
- 3 A thing that lasts forever. broadly
- 4 A person or thing (such as a problem) that appears or returns regularly. broadly
"Some of the stars on our list are perennials who fill huge venues year after year after year, but there's also a returning superstar on our list of the hottest summer tours of 2019."
Adjective
- 1 Lasting or remaining active throughout the year, for multiple years, or all the time. not-comparable
"a perennial stream"
- 2 Continuing without cessation or intermission for several years, or for an undetermined or infinite period; never-ending or never failing; perpetual, unceasing. figuratively, not-comparable
"His artwork has a perennial beauty."
- 3 Appearing or recurring again and again; recurrent. figuratively, not-comparable
"a perennial candidate in elections"
- 4 Appearing or recurring again and again; recurrent.; Appearing again each year; annual. figuratively, not-comparable, rare
- 5 Of a plant: active throughout the year, or having a life cycle of more than two growing seasons. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 recurring again and again wordnet
- 2 lasting three seasons or more wordnet
- 3 lasting an indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "perennial"?
Common synonyms include: abiding, age-long, aged, ageless, amphibian, ancient.
How do you use "perennial" in a sentence?
The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich.
How do you pronounce "perennial"?
Pronounced /pəˈɹɛn.ɪ.əl/.
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”)