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

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Etymology

Origin of Permian

First recorded in 1835–45; Perm + -ian

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Permian

In the Permian Basin in West Texas, on any given day, 500 to 600 trucks are deployed delivering frack sand for Detmar Logistics, which operates 24 hours-a-day, 365 days a year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Gulf Coast refineries benefit from lower-cost crude coming from Texas oil basins such as the Permian and Eagle Ford.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

“The acquisition expands our scale in the Permian Midland Basin, advances our integrated wellhead-to-water strategy and strengthens connectivity across our natural gas and NGL value chain,” said Chief Executive Pierce Norton II.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Big landowners in the Permian Basin are aiming to capitalize on Nimby rebellion against AI projects around the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

The Carter Cowboys were scared of no one, absolutely no one, and just as the Permian players walked around with a shield of invincibility, so did they, a shield ten times stronger.

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

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