permanent 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpər-mə-nənt How to pronounce permanent (audio)
Definition of permanentnext
as in eternal
lasting forever a temporary compromise has been accepted until a more permanent solution can be agreed upon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

permanent

2 of 2

noun

as in perm

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective permanent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of permanent are durable, lasting, and stable. While all these words mean "enduring for so long as to seem fixed or established," permanent adds usually the implication of being designed or planned to stand or continue indefinitely.

permanent living arrangements

When is it sensible to use durable instead of permanent?

Although the words durable and permanent have much in common, durable implies power to resist destructive agencies.

durable fabrics

When would lasting be a good substitute for permanent?

The words lasting and permanent can be used in similar contexts, but lasting implies a capacity to continue indefinitely.

a book that left a lasting impression on me

When is stable a more appropriate choice than permanent?

The meanings of stable and permanent largely overlap; however, stable implies lastingness because of resistance to being overturned or displaced.

a stable government

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of permanent
Adjective
The best travel accessories are the ones that quietly earn a permanent spot in your carry-on, and Amazon’s outlet has some useful finds ahead of the busy holiday travel season. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2026 But permanent medallions, which can be sold and resold, are not revocable. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
While Republicans made the tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, these minor tax cuts for a few ordinary Americans are short-lived. — Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2025 If hotness is an effort to make the ephemeral permanent, then illness is a constant reminder of how nothing is forever. — Michelle Santiago Cortés, refinery29.com, 26 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for permanent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permanent
  1. eternal
  2. perm
  3. immortal
  4. conk
  5. endless
  6. haircut
  7. perpetual
  8. hairstyle
Adjective
  • He is surrounded by a parade of savvier comic archetypes — from his urbane, happily rational brother, Beralde (Dylan Baker), to his smart-aleck maid, Toinette (Rachel Bloom, giving eternal side-eye) — who have to either evade or manipulate him.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement No end to the season could have been more apt than Joanne and Noah pledging their eternal love while, in a gorgeous beachfront rental just steps away, their parents and siblings tear each other apart.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of eternal
Noun
  • With her toadstool-like jet-black perm and dark red lipstick, Haru is a striking presence, the sensuousness of her moves conveying both longing and sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Between the football, the success and the fashionable perm, that was the kind of popularity that Machtig Maus (Mighty Mouse) had.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of perm
Adjective
  • Senna holds an immortal presence in modern Formula 1 for the manner of his racing—ferocious, endowed with grace—and for his untimely death.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This all-loving creator is ever present, completely good, and the intelligent source of immortal truth and unending love.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of immortal
Noun
  • Fungal problems are common and some produce the mushroom growths called conks along limbs.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • The conk, the afro… and the jheri curl.
    — Sonari Glinton, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of conk
Adjective
  • Most of the work of recovery is about treating whatever is causing people to escape their lives into endless scrolling and stimulation, Kardaras says.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To help banish the endless procrastination, National Geographic’s 2027 list of 25 must-visit destinations for the year ahead is one of its most timely and experience-driven recommendations yet.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of endless
Noun
  • Is liking the picture of your recently single friend’s bold new haircut on Instagram necessary?
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That’s obviously not fair to the workers, or to the consumers who cannot hand off their haircuts to AI agents.
    — Nathan Bruschi, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of haircut
Adjective
  • Valadao has been a perpetual target of Democrats given their longtime voter registration edge in this area.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Beneath the spy plots, then, is a fond portrait of a group of people held in perpetual disgrace for their shortcomings, and thus forced to find individual paths to redemption.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of perpetual
Noun
  • The man seen in the security videos resembled Ballard, including having a similar hairstyle and tattoos, police said, according to NHK.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • No hairstyle made bigger waves this summer than Mika Abdalla’s Allie-Cat cut in Amazon’s breakout series Off Campus.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of hairstyle

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Permanent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permanent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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