Word
perennial
Phoneticsperen·ni·al
US/pɝˈɛniəɫ/
UK/pəɹˈɛnɪəl/
Definitions
01lasting or recurring
C1 · Advanced Academic
adj. happening again and again, or lasting for a long time.
adj. continuing for an indefinitely long time or recurring repeatedly. Often used to describe problems, themes, or interests that never seem to go away.
“Traffic congestion is a perennial problem in this growing city.”
“The philosopher addressed the perennial questions of human existence, focusing on the search for meaning in an increasingly secular world.”
Usage
Commonly used to modify nouns representing abstract problems or themes.
Synonyms
02living many years
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science Technical
adj. describing a plant that lives for more than two years.
adj. having a life cycle lasting more than two years. In botanical contexts, it is a non-gradable adjective.
“I prefer planting perennial flowers so I do not have to replant them every spring.”
“Perennial shrubs are essential for providing structure to a garden during the winter months when smaller plants have died back.”
Usage
Usually precedes the noun it modifies in botanical descriptions.
Synonyms
03a long-lived plant
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science
n. a plant that lives for several years.
n. a plant that persists for several years, usually dying back to the ground in winter and regrowing from the same root system in spring.
“These perennials will bloom every summer if you take care of the soil.”
“The gardener recommended a mix of hardy perennials to ensure the flower beds remained vibrant year after year without total replanting.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“These findings, published in the journal Nature Communications , provide foundational genomic data for domesticating wild, deep-rooted Silphium species native to North American prairies into perennial crops for food, fiber, forage and medicine.” “He also had the ear of Florentino Pérez, the perennial Real Madrid president asking him to replace Xabi Alonso mid-season in the 2025-26 campaign.” 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”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. hardy perennial
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/perennial