permanence
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of permanence
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word permanentia. See permanent, -ence
Explanation
Permanence is when something sticks around forever, like your mother's love or the smell of smoke after you accidentally start a fire in your kitchen. Something can give the impression of permanence, even if it isn't literally infinite, like a massive stone castle or a pesky neighbor who always seems to be hanging around. The noun permanence comes from permanent, which in Latin means "remaining to the end," from the roots per, "through," and manere, "remain or stay."
Vocabulary lists containing permanence
Sheryl Sandberg Commencement Address 2016
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Twenty-Four Seconds from Now
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The Serpent King
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But, ultimately, it wasn’t money that her mother was after, it was green cards for them both, the permanence and safety of American citizenship: the American Dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The transfer deadline will bring permanence to what remains an uncertain situation.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Apparently, when it comes to shreds and zest, I possess the object permanence of a baby.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Some misalignments suggested by the index have an air of permanence.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
It raised a question, however, that would be raised again six months later: Why did the market suddenly distrust a giant Wall Street firm whose permanence it not so very long before took for granted?
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
