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Meaning of permanent in English:

permanent

Pronunciation /ˈpəːm(ə)nənt/

Translate permanent into Spanish

adjective

  • 1Lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.

    ‘a permanent ban on the dumping of radioactive waste at sea’
    • ‘damage was not thought to be permanent’
    • ‘some temporary workers did not want a permanent job’
    • ‘With no money, job, or permanent address, the future looked bleak for Lisa and baby Nicole.’
    • ‘The berthing piers would remain as a permanent feature of the development of tourism in St Lucia.’
    • ‘It remains a permanent monument to the academic aspect of elasticity.’
    • ‘Many people work through agencies and then apply for permanent jobs.’
    • ‘So far the scheme has resulted in 20 people being placed into permanent jobs.’
    • ‘When we say something is a part of our nature, it makes it seem to be a permanent, unchangeable thing.’
    • ‘I can't decide whether this is a positive or a negative development, or indeed a permanent change.’
    • ‘The project heralds a permanent change in the way bail bandits will be treated, he said.’
    • ‘Even without sunburn, intense sunlight causes permanent changes in the skin.’
    • ‘Bulb and perennial combinations can be permanent additions to garden beds and borders.’
    • ‘Part of my job will be to help them find a permanent office, and they have a pretty tight budget.’
    • ‘He added that the town council intended to put up a more permanent sign later.’
    • ‘Foreign firms are thus strongly advised to establish a permanent base in the region.’
    • ‘In the longer term, a permanent move to Livingston hasn't been ruled out.’
    • ‘We decided to buy it as a holiday home but continue to look for a permanent base in the city.’
    • ‘It would not be a permanent position, and I would expect you to continue searching.’
    • ‘She was secure in the knowledge that she had a permanent home there.’
    • ‘This scholarship is being established in her name as a permanent reminder of her work.’
    • ‘It offers a long lasting and, in many cases, permanent cure by treating the disease at its root.’
    • ‘The aim of phase two would be to secure funding and design a permanent sabbatical centre.’
    lasting, enduring, indefinite, continuing, perpetual, everlasting, eternal, abiding, constant, persistent, irreparable, irreversible, lifelong, indissoluble, indelible, standing, perennial, unending, endless, never-ending, immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, invariable, unchanging, changeless, undying, imperishable, indestructible, ineradicable
    long-term, long-lasting, lasting, stable, fixed, established, sound, secure, solid, firm, continuing, durable
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Lasting or continuing without interruption.
      ‘he's in a permanent state of rage’
      • ‘Was his permanent rage going to be banked by a great outpouring of slavering goodwill?’
      • ‘The advantages of permanent representation abroad included practicality and continuity.’
      • ‘We shall need permanent vigilance and constant efforts to spread democratic involvement.’

noun

North American

  • A perm for the hair.

    ‘a woman with a home permanent’
    • ‘Problem-solving perms re-texturize hair, adding body, wave, movement and volume, but to call them permanents is a misnomer.’
    • ‘Hairstyling, teasing, coloring, permanents, and the use of hair spray are supported.’
    • ‘Also, hair sprays, hair color, and permanents will not make you lose more hair.’
    • ‘Next week, we'll discuss how permanents, chemical relaxers, and dyes alter your hair's natural structure.’
    • ‘She produced a copy of his fee schedule for his services which showed he offered a wide range of services from haircuts to more extensive styling and permanents.’
    • ‘That thing scared me off permanents for life.’
    • ‘Some of the girls had amateurish home permanents.’

Origin

Late Middle English from Latin permanent- ‘remaining to the end’ (perhaps via Old French), from per- ‘through’ + manere ‘remain’.