permanent
[ pur-muh-nuhnt ]
/ ˈpɜr mə nənt /
adjective
existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.
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
Also called permanent wave. a wave or curl that is set into the hair by the application of a special chemical preparation and that remains for a number of months.
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RELATED WORDS
durable, perpetual, long-lasting, enduring, stable, invariable, set, everlasting, perennial, abiding, changeless, continual, fixed, forever, immutable, imperishable, indestructible, persistent, steadfast, unchanging
Nearby words
- permafrost table,
- permalink,
- permalloy,
- permanence,
- permanency,
- permanent cartilage,
- permanent court of arbitration,
- permanent court of international justice,
- permanent dentition,
- permanent echo
Origin of permanent
SYNONYMS FOR permanent
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for permanent
permanent
/ (ˈpɜːmənənt) /
adjective
existing or intended to exist for an indefinite perioda permanent structure
not expected to change for an indefinite time; not temporarya permanent condition
Word Origin for permanent
C15: from Latin permanens continuing, from permanēre to stay to the end, from per- through + manēre to remain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
permanent
early 15c., from Middle French permanent (14c.) or directly from Latin permanentem (nominative permanens) "remaining," present participle of permanere "endure, hold out, continue, stay to the end," from per- "through" (see per) + manere "stay" (see mansion). As a noun meaning "permanent wave," by 1909. Of clothing, permanent press attested from 1964.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper