Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

perennial

Syllabification: (per·en·ni·al)
Pronunciation: /pəˈrenēəl/

Translate perennial | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of perennial

adjective

  • lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring:his perennial distrust of the media perennial manifestations of urban crisis
  • (of a plant) living for several years:tarragon is perennialCompare with annual, biennial.
  • [attributive] (of a person) apparently permanently engaged in a specified role or way of life:he’s a perennial student
  • (of a stream or spring) flowing throughout the year.

noun

  • a perennial plant.

Derivatives

perennially

adverb

Origin:

mid 17th century (in the sense 'remaining leafy throughout the year, evergreen'): from Latin perennis 'lasting the year through' + -ial

Spell perennial with one r and a double n.

perennial in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of perennial in the British & World English dictionary
  |  Cite

Word of the day

leporine

/ ˈlɛpərʌɪn /
adjective
of or resembling a hare or hares …