evergreen

American  

[ev-er-green] / ˈɛv ərˌgrin /

adjective

1. (of trees, shrubs, etc.) having green leaves throughout the entire year, the leaves of the past season not being shed until after the new foliage has been completely formed.

2. retaining its relevance, popularity, usefulness, etc.; enduring.

   Some toys are evergreen favorites.

3. Law. (of a contract or contract clause) specifying automatic renewal at the end of the term.

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noun

• evergreens
  plural

1. an evergreen plant.

2. evergreens, evergreen twigs or branches used for decoration.

3. something that is evergreen, or enduringly fresh.

   The paper publishes decorating tips or other archived evergreens on slow news days.

evergreen British  

/ ˈɛvəˌɡriːn /

adjective

1. (of certain trees and shrubs) bearing foliage throughout the year; continually shedding and replacing leaves Compare deciduous

2. remaining fresh and vital

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noun

1. an evergreen tree or shrub

evergreen Scientific  

/ ĕv′ər-grēn′ /

1. Having green leaves or needles all year. Evergreen trees lose their leaves individually on an ongoing basis, rather than losing all of them in a short period at the end of a growing season in the manner of deciduous trees.

2. Compare deciduous

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1. An evergreen tree, shrub, or plant, such as the pine, holly, or rhododendron.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• evergreens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of evergreen

First recorded in 1545–55; ever + green

Explanation

An evergreen is a tree or plant that doesn't shed its leaves in the winter, but stays green all year. A Christmas tree is an evergreen. Even in the middle of winter, when so many trees in cold climates have bare branches, evergreens brighten up the landscape with vibrant green needles or leaves. Fir trees, holly bushes, and eucalyptus shrubs are all examples of evergreens. You can describe all of them using evergreen as an adjective as well: "I made the wreath using evergreen branches."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

evergreen evergreens

On “Neptuno,” his heart is shattered after a relationship didn’t work out; while on the title track, he details an evergreen love in which a couple keeps finding their way back to each other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Researchers found the species in an evergreen forest within Mae Wong National Park, in Tak-Kamphaeng Phet Province, at elevations above 1,300 meters.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

“In wealth, we believe we have seen a bottoming of evergreen inflows in the May 1st close,” Lipshultz said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

They flew out of the blocks, led by the evergreen Martin Boyle, and had wiped out the two-goal deficit within 15 minutes.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Their bark was two feet thick, and their shaggy evergreen leaves were high up, where forest fires couldn’t reach them.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Allen’s shows are designed to be evergreens with few topical gags so they can be repeated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

The cool blues of “Winter” are raked through with rich purple, as hints of evergreens creep in from the edges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

Rockis farms trees in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where he and other producers often grow their iconic evergreens outside their preferred habitat higher in the mountains.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

In other words, our Christmas evergreens are actually not that "green" at all.

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023

They like to feed on the seeds of evergreens.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

Related Words

• fir
• hedge
• pine