perennial
puh-REN-ee-ul
/pəˈrɛniəl/
Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.
Often used for problems that keep coming back or plants that grow back every year.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'perennis', literally 'through the years'. It was originally a botanical term for plants that didn't die after one season.
Word relationships
- everlasting: Everlasting means never ending; perennial often means recurring or lasting through many cycles.
- annual: In gardening, an annual lives for one year; a perennial lives for many.
Commonly confused with
- perpetual: Perpetual means never stopping; perennial means lasting through the years or recurring.
Word family
- perennially (adverb): In a way that continues for a long time or recurs.
Collocations
- perennial favorite
- perennial problem
- perennial plant
Example sentences
- "Traffic congestion is a perennial problem in this rapidly growing city." Describing a recurring issue.
Memory hook
Perennial = Per (through) + Ennial (like 'annual' or 'centennial'). Through the years. Through the years.
When not to use
Don't use it for something that happens once and lasts; it usually implies a cycle or a 'coming back'.
Fun facts
- The 'perennial philosophy' is a perspective in spirituality that views all the world's religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.