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perennial

puh-REN-ee-ul /pəˈrɛniəl/

adjectivenounC1GRESATCAT

botanicalgeneraljournalistic

Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.

In gardening, it refers to plants that live for more than two years. Metaphorically, it refers to problems or topics that come back year after year.

The story behind the word. The word literally means 'through the years.' It was originally a technical term for plants that survived the winter and came back the next year, but by the 17th century, English speakers began using it to describe anything that seemed to have no end.

Word relationships

recurrent: Recurrent simply means happening again; perennial implies it happens reliably over a very long time.
eternal: Eternal is much stronger; perennial is more grounded in the cycles of the earth or human society.

annual: Annual describes something that lasts only one year or happens once a year.
ephemeral: Ephemeral describes something very short-lived.

Commonly confused with

perpetual: Perpetual means never-ending; perennial means returning year after year.

Word family

perennially (adverb): In a way that continues for a long time or recurs frequently.

Collocations

perennial favorite
perennial problem
perennial plant
perennial philosophy

Example sentences

"Tax reform is a perennial issue in every election cycle, as candidates promise changes that rarely seem to materialize." Politics
"Unlike annuals which must be replanted, perennial flowers like peonies will bloom every spring with minimal effort." Gardening

Memory hook

Think of 'per-annual'—it goes through the annual cycles and keeps living. Perennial = Through the years.

When not to use

Don't use it for something that is constant and never stops; perennial implies a cycle of returning.

Fun facts

The 'Perennial Philosophy' is a perspective in modern spirituality which views each of the world's religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth.