Permanent
adjective / noun
Definition
1. Lasting for a long time or forever.
2. Not temporary or changing.
3. A chemical treatment that curls or waves the hair.
2. Not temporary or changing.
3. A chemical treatment that curls or waves the hair.
Context Alive
The doctor sat down and spoke gently but honestly. She explained that the damage to his knee was permanent and wouldn’t improve with time. He sat quietly for a moment, then asked what his options were for living a full life with it.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 Lasting Forever or for a Very Long Time (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about something that continues indefinitely without changing — the opposite of temporary. Imagine moving to a new country and after years of living there, you finally apply for permanent residency. That means you can stay forever, not just for a limited time. This is something stable, fixed, and not expected to end. You might hear “the accident caused permanent damage to her eyesight” or a company could offer someone a permanent position after a six-month trial. Or think about a tattoo — once it’s on your skin, it’s permanent. You can’t just wash it off. The word carries a sense of finality and certainty. ✏️ “Permanent” is often paired with its opposite — “is this temporary or permanent?” is one of the most common questions people ask about jobs, injuries, and living situations.
Vivid ExampleAfter three years on a temporary contract, she finally got the news she had been waiting for. The company offered her a permanent position with full benefits and job security. She called her parents immediately, barely able to contain her excitement.
2 A Chemical Hair Treatment for Curls (Noun) Less Common ▼
This meaning is about a hairdressing treatment that uses chemicals to create curls or waves in straight hair. Imagine someone with completely flat, straight hair who wants bouncy curls. They go to a salon and get a permanent — a process where chemicals reshape the hair so it stays curly for months, even after washing. This is also commonly shortened to “perm.” You might hear “she got a permanent and her hair looks completely different now” or someone could say “permanents were incredibly popular in the 1980s.” Or picture old family photos where everyone — men and women — had big, curly hair from a permanent. The word refers to the fact that the curls last a long time compared to regular styling. ✏️ Most people today just say “perm” instead of “permanent” — “I’m thinking of getting a perm” sounds much more natural in everyday conversation.
Vivid ExampleHer grandmother pulled out an old photo album from the 1980s. Every single person in the pictures had big, curly hair from a permanent. They laughed together as grandma admitted she used to spend hours at the salon getting hers done every few months.
Examples from the Street
“Is the damage permanent, or can it be fixed?”
Will the harm last forever, or is there a way to repair it?
“She’s finally got a permanent contract after two years of temporary work.”
She’s been given a job with no end date after spending two years on short-term agreements
“Nothing in life is permanent — things always change eventually.”
No situation lasts forever — everything shifts sooner or later
Common Patterns
permanent damage/injury/harm → damage that cannot be reversed or repaired
permanent change → a change that is intended to last or cannot be undone
permanent effect/impact → a consequence that remains indefinitely
permanent stain/mark/scar → a physical trace that won’t go away
nothing is permanent → everything eventually changes (common philosophical statement)
become permanent → change from temporary to lasting
permanent job/position/contract → employment with no fixed end date
permanent staff/employee → a worker on a long-term contract, not temporary
permanent resident/residency → someone legally allowed to live in a country indefinitely
permanent address → a fixed, long-term home address
make something/someone permanent → convert from temporary to long-term status
permanent fixture → something or someone that is always present and unlikely to leave
permanent marker/pen → a writing tool that cannot be erased
permanent collection → artwork or items always on display in a museum or gallery
permanent record → an official record that is kept indefinitely
permanent solution → a fix that solves a problem for good, not just temporarily
Collocations
4 collocationspermanent damage
harm that cannot be repaired
permanent position
a job that is not temporary
permanent record
a file that stays on record forever
nothing is permanent
everything eventually changes
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The doctor warned that without treatment, the hearing loss could become permanent.
The medical professional cautioned that if left untreated, the inability to hear properly could last for the rest of his life.
2
Staring at a screen all day can cause permanent damage to your eyesight if you don’t take regular breaks.
Looking at a monitor continuously can harm your vision irreversibly if you don’t stop and rest your eyes frequently.
3
After three years on temporary contracts, she was finally offered a permanent position.
Following three years of short-term agreements, she was at last given a job with no end date.
4
He applied for permanent residency after living in Canada for five years.
He submitted an application to stay in the country indefinitely after spending half a decade living there.
5
The coffee stain on the carpet looks like it might be permanent — nothing seems to shift it.
The brown mark left by the spilled drink on the floor covering seems impossible to remove — no cleaning product appears to work.
6
The sculpture has become a permanent fixture in the town square — nobody can imagine the place without it now.
The carved artwork has become a constant presence in the central public space — no one can picture the area without it any more.
7
Don’t use a permanent marker on the whiteboard — it won’t come off!
Don’t write on the display board with an ink pen that can’t be erased — you’ll never be able to remove it!
8
We need a permanent solution to the flooding, not just sandbags every winter.
We need a fix that lasts for good to deal with the rising water, not just temporary barriers placed every cold season.
9
The accident left him with a permanent scar across his forehead.
The incident left him with a mark across the top of his face that would never disappear.
10
Nothing is permanent — even the worst situations eventually pass.
No circumstance lasts forever — even the most difficult times come to an end sooner or later.
Learner Examples
★
Making vocabulary learning a permanent habit rather than something you only do before exams leads to much stronger long-term retention.
Turning the practice of studying new words into a fixed, ongoing routine instead of something you only do before tests produces far better results over time.
★
The skills students develop through daily speaking practice leave a permanent impact on their confidence that no single lesson could ever achieve.
The abilities learners build through everyday oral exercises create a lasting effect on their self-assurance that no individual class session could ever produce on its own.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
0 items
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymslasting
continuing forever
enduring
staying long-term
fixed
not changing
perpetual
never-ending
Antonymstemporary
not lasting
short-term
for a limited time
fleeting
passing quickly