permanent

The word “permanent” means lasting forever or for an indefinitely long time, without a planned end. In plain terms, lasting indefinitely, as opposed to temporary.

“Permanent” is pronounced PUR-muh-nuhnt (/ˈpɜɹ.mə.nənt/ in IPA).

Here is “permanent” used in a sentence: “The injury left him with permanent nerve damage.”

Words with a similar meaning to “permanent” include forever, never-ending, unending, endless and intransient.

The opposite of “permanent” — its antonyms — are impermanent and temporary.

“Permanent” is an adjective.

The word “permanent” comes from Latin. From Latin permanens, from permanere ("to stay through, endure").

“Permanent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Permanent means lasting indefinitely, with no planned end — a permanent job, a permanent change. Temporary means lasting only for a limited time, meant to end — a temporary fix or a temporary contract. The key difference is duration and intention: permanent is meant to stay, temporary is meant to pass.

Not literally forever in every case. 'Permanent' means something is intended to last indefinitely, without a planned end, rather than being guaranteed to exist eternally. A permanent job can still end and a permanent marker can fade — but the word signals lasting, settled, and not designed to be undone.

A permanent tattoo, which is designed never to wash off, is a clear example. Others include a permanent home, a permanent job, or a permanent change to a law. In each case the thing is meant to stay indefinitely rather than being a short-term arrangement.

The main opposite is 'temporary', meaning lasting only a limited time. Related opposites include 'impermanent', 'fleeting', 'passing', and 'provisional'. All describe things meant to end or change, in contrast to something settled and lasting indefinitely.