perennial

English

Etymology

1644, from Latin perennis (“lasting through the whole year”), from per- (“through”) + annus (“year”) + -al; equivalent to per- +‎ -ennial.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈɹɛni.əl/

• Audio (US)

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Adjective

perennial (not comparable)

1. Lasting or remaining active throughout the year, or all the time.

   a perennial stream

2. (botany, of a plant) Having a life cycle of more than two years. Compare annual, biennial.
3. (figuratively) Continuing without cessation or intermission; perpetual; permanent; unceasing; never failing.
   • 1790, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France

     The perennial existence of bodies corporate and their fortunes are things particularly suited to a man who has long views…

4. (figuratively) Enduring; lasting; timeless.

   His artwork has a perennial beauty.

5. (figuratively) Recurrent; appearing or recurring again and again.

   Change is a perennial theme in politics.

Derived terms

• perennially

Translations

lasting or remaining active throughout the year, or all the time

• Catalan: perenne
• Danish: helårlig, evig (da)
• Dutch: gansjarig, eeuwig (nl)
• French: pérenne (fr)
• German: ganzjährig (de)
• Greek: αέναος (el) m (aénaos)
• Hungarian: állandó (hu)

• Icelandic: fjölær (is) m
• Interlingua: perenne
• Irish: ilbhliantúil
• Manx: yl-vleeantagh, yl-vleinoil
• Portuguese: perene (pt)
• Russian: круглогоди́чный (ru) (kruglogodíčnyj)

(of a plant) Having a life cycle of more than two years

• Catalan: perenne
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 多年生 (zh) (duōniánshēng)

• Czech: trvalka (cs) f
• Danish: flerårig
• Dutch: meerjarig (nl)
• Finnish: monivuotinen
• Georgian: მრავალწლოვანი (mravalc̣lovani)
• German: mehrjährig (de)
• Greek: πολυετής (el) (polyetís)
• Hungarian: évelő (hu)
• Icelandic: fjölær (is) m

• Interlingua: perenne
• Irish: ilbhliantúil
• Japanese: 多年生の (たねんせいの, tanensei no)
• Manx: yl-vleeantagh, yl-vleinoil
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: flerårig

  Nynorsk: fleirårig

• Persian: چندساله‎ (fa) (čand-sâle)
• Polish: wieloletni (pl) m
• Portuguese: perene (pt), vivaz (pt)
• Russian: многоле́тний (ru) (mnogolétnij)
• Swedish: flerårig (sv)

continuing without cessation or intermission; perpetual; permanent; unceasing; never failing

• Catalan: perenne
• Danish: evig (da)
• Dutch: voortdurend (nl), eeuwig (nl)
• Greek: αέναος (el) m (aénaos), αιώνιος (el) m (aiónios), διηνεκής (el) m, f (diinekís)
• Interlingua: perenne

• Japanese: 永続する (えいぞくする, eizoku suru)
• Persian: جاوید‎ (fa) (jâvid)
• Portuguese: perene (pt)
• Russian: постоя́нный (ru) (postojánnyj), ве́чный (ru) (véčnyj)

enduring; lasting; timeless

• Catalan: perenne
• Danish: evig (da)
• Dutch: eeuwig (nl)
• German: dauerhaft (de)

• Greek: διηνεκής (el) m, f (diinekís)
• Polish: odwieczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: perene (pt)
• Russian: ве́чный (ru) (véčnyj)

recurrent; appearing or recurring again and again

• Danish: tilbagevendende
• German: wiederkehrend (de)

• Polish: częsty (pl), powracający, powtarzający się m
• Russian: повторя́ющийся (ru) (povtorjájuščijsja), возвраща́ющийся (ru) (vozvraščájuščijsja)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} pérenne (fr)

Noun

perennial (plural perennials)

1. A perennial plant; a plant that is active throughout the year or survives for more than two growing seasons. Compare annual, biennial.

Translations

perennial plant

• Catalan: perennifoli
• Czech: trvalka (cs) f
• Dutch: meerjarige (nl) plant (nl) f
• Finnish: monivuotinen kasvi (fi)
• French: vivace (fr) m, f
• Greek: πολυετές (el) n (polyetés)
• Hungarian: évelő (hu)

• Mandarin: 多年生 (zh) (duōniánshēng)
• Polish: bylina (pl) f, roślina wieloletnia f
• Portuguese: planta perene f
• Russian: многолетнее (ru) (mnogoletneje) расте́ние (ru) n (rasténije)
• Slovene: trajnica, večletna rastlina
• Swedish: perenn (sv)