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Perennial vs Sempiternal - What's the difference?

perennial | sempiternal |

As adjectives the difference between perennial and sempiternal

is that perennial is lasting or remaining active throughout the year, or all the time while sempiternal is seemingly everlasting or eternal.

As a noun perennial

is a perennial plant; a plant that is active throughout the year or survives for more than two growing seasons. Compare {{term|annual}}, {{term|biennial}}.

perennial

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Lasting or remaining active throughout the year, or all the time.
  • a perennial stream
  • (botany, of a plant) Having a life cycle of more than two years. Compare (annual), (biennial).
  • (figuratively) Continuing without cessation or intermission; perpetual; permanent; unceasing; never failing.
  • * 1790 ,
  • The perennial existence of bodies corporate and their fortunes are things particularly suited to a man who has long views…
  • (figuratively) Enduring; lasting; timeless.
  • His artwork has a perennial beauty.
  • (figuratively) Recurrent; appearing or recurring again and again.
  • Change is a perennial theme in politics.

    Derived terms

    * perennially

    Noun

    (Perennial plant) (en noun)
  • A perennial plant; a plant that is active throughout the year or survives for more than two growing seasons. Compare (annual), (biennial).
  • sempiternal

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Seemingly everlasting or eternal.
  • * 1841 , ",
  • The one thing which we seek with insatiable desire is to lose our sempiternal memory and to do something without knowing how or why; in short to draw a new circle.
  • * 2008 , Shivangi Singh, " A sneak-peek at 'just friends' of filmdom!", ZeeNews , August 2,
  • but in filmdom, the sempiternal question continues: Can a male and female actor be just 'good friends'?
  • (philosophy) everlasting, that is having infinite temporal duration; as opposed to eternal, outside time and thus lacking temporal duration
  • Antonyms

    * eternal