impermanence

Rarely im·per·ma·nen·cy

[im-pur-muh-nuhns]

noun

1. the fact or quality of being temporary or short-lived.

   The novel poignantly explores the impermanence of childhood—the ebb and flow of memories and experiences that make up our disappearing past.

Word History and Origins

Origin of impermanence¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; equivalent to im- ² ( def. ) + permanence ( def. )

Example Sentences

Or, as Long put it, “embracing the rare imperfections and impermanence of it all.”

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By all measures, this is a movie that needs to do well, even for a studio that prides itself on the impermanence of its properties.

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For all the impermanence — packing up and relocating just about every two years — Hutson said his upbringing was in many ways ideal, shaping his outlook to this day.

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"It expresses the fleeting joys, impermanence and yet hope of life," she concludes.

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In one of his film’s most moving segments, Martha and Ingrid spend an evening watching “The Dead,” celebrated director John Huston’s swan song, based on James Joyce’s haunting story about the impermanence of everything.

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