Perennial
/pəˈrɛn.i.əl/
adjectivenounC1
Definition
As an adjective, perennial describes something that lasts for many years or happens regularly every year without stopping. As a noun, it usually means a plant that lives for more than two years and grows back each season. The word is often used for things that are constant or repeated over a long time.
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See It in Action
Lasting for many years or continuing for a long time
- •The region has a perennial problem with traffic jams.
- •She has a perennial interest in music that never fades.
- •Their perennial friendship has lasted over decades.
(Botany) A plant that lives for more than two years and grows again each season
- •Roses are perennial plants that bloom every year.
- •Unlike annuals, perennials don’t need to be replanted each spring.
- •The garden has many perennials that survive the winter.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'perennial' like 'always' or 'every year,' but more specific—it means something that comes back or lasts through many years, not just once or for a short time.
- ✓Picture a flower in a garden that blooms every spring without needing to be planted again.
- ✓It's the feeling of something steady and reliable, like a friend who is always there every year.
- ✓Sounds like 'pair-ENN-ee-uhl' → imagine a pair (two) of flowers that never stop coming back.
- ✓Think about seasons: perennial plants are like the spring flowers that return each year, unlike one-time flowers that bloom and die.
- ✓NOT like 'annual' (which means only one year), perennial lasts many years.
- ✓NOT like 'temporary' (short time), perennial is long-lasting or repeated.
- ✓NOT like 'ephemeral' (very short life), perennial is the opposite—lasting a long time.
Try Other Words
- •Everlasting: lasting forever or a very long time (Use when you want to emphasize no end or infinite duration)
- •Persistent: continuing firmly or stubbornly (Use when something continues despite difficulties, often about problems or feelings)
- •Annual: happening once every year (Use when the event or plant happens only once per year, not many years)
- •Long-lasting: staying for a long time (Use for general things that do not end quickly, less formal than perennial)
Unboxing
- •Prefix 'per-' means 'through' or 'throughout'
- •Root 'ennial' comes from Latin 'annus,' meaning 'year'
- •Together, 'perennial' means 'through the years' or lasting many years
- •First used in English in the 15th century to describe plants that live many years
- •Now used for both plants and anything that lasts or repeats regularly over a long time
Reflect & Connect
•What are some examples of perennial things in your life, like hobbies or friendships, that last a long time?
•How does thinking about something as perennial change the way you see its importance or value?
Fill in the blanks
1.A perennial plant can survive ___ winters and bloom ___ year after year without being replanted.
2.Traffic congestion is a perennial problem in big cities because it happens ___ and ___ again.
3.Unlike annual flowers, perennials do not need to be planted ___ every spring.
4.When someone has a perennial interest in a subject, it means they feel ___ about it for a ___ time.
5.The garden was full of ___ plants that kept coming back no matter the season.
6.A perennial issue is one that does not ___ easily and often requires ___ solutions.
7.Some friendships are perennial because they last ___ despite changes in life.