perennial
/pəˈrɛn.i.əl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Lasting for a very long time, or continuing again and again. In biology, it describes a plant that lives for more than two years.
- They faced perennial problems with traffic.
- Roses are perennial plants.
noun
A perennial plant. It is a plant that lives for more than two years and grows back each season.
- Lavender is a popular perennial.
- We planted perennials in the garden.
Adinary Nuance
Perennial is stronger than common or usual because it suggests something keeps returning over time. It is often more formal than always or ongoing in writing. For plants, use perennial only for plants that live for more than two years, not for every garden plant.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- lâu năm
- Spanish
- perenne
- Chinese
- 多年生
- Japanese
- 多年生の
- Korean
- 다년생의
Etymology
Perennial comes from Latin perennis, meaning 'lasting all year'. It entered English in the late 1500s.
Common phrases
perennial problemperennial favoriteperennial plant
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is perennial formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal and common in writing, especially in news, academic, and business contexts.
- What is the difference between perennial and annual?
- A perennial plant lives for more than two years. An annual plant finishes its life cycle in one year.
- Can perennial describe a problem?
- Yes. It means a problem keeps happening again and again.
- Is perennial used in everyday speech?
- Yes, but it is more common in writing than in casual speech.