From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishperennialpe‧ren‧ni‧al1 /pəˈreniəl/ adjective 1 ALL THE TIMEcontinuing or existing for a long time, or happening again and again Lack of resources has been a perennial problem since the beginning. Teddy bears are a perennial favorite with children.2 HBPa plant that is perennial lives for more than two years → annual —perennially adverb
Examples from the Corpus
perennial• For the hell of it l do an extra set of bun-twisters on my back, a perennial crowd-pleaser.• Severe and unpredictable weather is a perennial danger for mountain climbers.• Mickey Mouse remains a perennial favorite.• In the United States apples and other perennial food crops constituted 16 % of the total value of food crops in 1998.• Markets only work at the cost of perennial insecurity for producers.• High unemployment rates are a perennial problem in several European countries.• perennial problems of the local economy• Following the annual migration of food preparation to the outdoors is the perennial question: How shall these delicacies be washed down?• John Munger, perennial troublemaker on the Board of Regents, attacked both affirmative action and tenure.• They may take a week or so to work, but can kill most deep-rooted perennial weeds without being persistent.perennial problem• Did the women of the locality - and/or the imagination - constitute a perennial problem?• His answer touched the perennial problems and pretensions of politicians.• Then came the perennial problem - do I put the neckband on next, or the front bands.• Alison MacDonald on the perennial problem of child care.• But the perennial problem of providing for other children remained.• The first was the perennial problem of the two-front war.• Money and how to get hold of it were the perennial problems that refused to go away.• Crying Crying is a perennial problem with young children from babyhood on.perennialperennial2 noun [countable] HBPa plant that lives for more than two years → annual → hardy perennial(1)Examples from the Corpus
perennial• But many of the old scents were upon those newly flowering perennials.• Such fibrous-rooted subjects as bedding plants, lettuces and most herbaceous perennials will tolerate being transplanted.• New herbaceous perennials planted now will put on plenty of root growth before winter, giving a better display next year.• You might pair them with a new perennial vine, since the annual will supply the flowers as the perennial establishes itself.• They are as melodies to the violinist, or perennials to a flower garden.• No selection of prickly perennials would be complete without Acanthus spinosus.• This is also the time to experiment with some unusual perennials and ornamental grasses you might not buy normally.Origin perennial1 (1600-1700) Latin perennis, from per- “through” + annus “year” 