Permian

American  

[pur-mee-uhn] / ˈpɜr mi ən /

adjective

1. Geology. noting or pertaining to a period of the Paleozoic Era occurring from about 280 to 230 million years ago and characterized by a profusion of amphibian species.

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noun

1. Geology. the Permian Period or System.

2. Permic.

Permian British  

/ ˈpɜːmɪən /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or formed in the last period of the Palaeozoic era, between the Carboniferous and Triassic periods, which lasted for 60 000 000 years

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noun

1. the Permian period or rock system

Permian Scientific  

/ pûr′mē-ən /

1. The seventh and last period of the Paleozoic Era, from about 286 to 245 million years ago. During the Permian Period the supercontinent Pangaea, comprising almost all of today's landmasses, formed. Gymnosperms evolved, the first modern conifers appeared, and reptiles diversified. The Permian Period ended with the largest known mass extinction in the history of life. It wiped out nearly 90 percent of known marine life forms.

2. See Chart at geologic time

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Other Word Forms

• post-Permian
  adjective
• pre-Permian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Permian

First recorded in 1835–45; Perm + -ian

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Permian

The Permian is unique in that producers typically underwrite drilling there based on oil prices, and not the gas that they unearth in the process.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

That is a risk in West Texas, where the Permian Basin oil field has electrified operations and crypto miners and AI data centers have expanded operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Permian production bypasses Cushing on its way to Gulf refineries and to export from the newly expanded Port of Corpus Christi through pipelines, which have also been expanded.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026

It has some exposure to the Middle East, where the war has impacted operations, but 83% of its production is U.S.-based, with particularly strong positions in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

Permian scored three touchdowns in the second half to defeat Port Arthur Jefferson 28-19 and win its third state championship in one of the great upsets in modern Texas high school history.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger