permanent
Americanadjective
-
existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.
- Synonyms:
- constant, invariable, stable
- Antonyms:
- inconstant, temporary
-
intended to exist or function for a long, indefinite period without regard to unforeseeable conditions.
a permanent employee; the permanent headquarters of the United Nations.
-
long-lasting or nonfading.
permanent pleating; permanent ink.
noun
adjective
-
existing or intended to exist for an indefinite period
a permanent structure
-
not expected to change for an indefinite time; not temporary
a permanent condition
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of permanent
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin permanent-, stem of permanēns “remaining,” present participle of permanēre “to remain”; see per-, remain
Explanation
Something that’s permanent is constant and lasting, as opposed to temporary. Think twice about writing in permanent marker or getting a tattoo — both are just about impossible to erase. If you wait around for something permanent to change, you'll be there for a long time — maybe forever. That's because the adjective permanent is used to describe something that continues on into the foreseeable future without shifting, moving, or changing at all. You might also come across the noun permanent, which refers to a chemical treatment used to curl your hair. But please know that "perms" aren't really cool anymore.
Vocabulary lists containing permanent
Ten Words related to Citizenship
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 26–March 4, 2022
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"The Ugly One," Vocabulary from Chapters 1-5
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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.
“The objective would be to gradually restore part of the maritime traffic while negotiations continue toward a more permanent solution,” says Antonio Di Giacomo, senior market analyst at XS.com, in an email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Tottenham have agreed a loan deal to sign Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, with an obligation to make the deal permanent for £60m next summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
With questions swirling around whether the stay is permanent, reports have noted the couple intend to keep their existing homes in California and Portugal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
The decibel meter on my cellphone showed an average level of 105, which is jackhammer level, capable of causing permanent hearing loss after 15 minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
But with zero, TT meant 61; 3,601 was written as T^T. Zero was born out of the need to give any given sequence of Babylonian digits a unique, permanent meaning.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
