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Eternity vs Permanent - What's the difference?

eternity | permanent |

As nouns the difference between eternity and permanent

is that eternity is (uncountable) existence without end, infinite time while permanent is a chemical hair treatment imparting or removing curliness, whose effects typically last for a period of weeks; a perm.

As an adjective permanent is

without end, eternal.

As a verb permanent is

(dated) to perm (the hair).

eternity

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic) * (obsolete)

Noun

  • (uncountable) Existence without end, infinite time.
  • * 1829', , ''Sermon LVIII: On the '''Eternity of God'', in ''Sermons on Several Occasions , Volume 2, 10th edition, page 1,
  • Eternity' has generally been considered as divisible into two parts; which have been termed, '''eternity''' ''a parte ante'', and '''eternity''' ''a parte post'': that is, in plain English, that '''eternity''' which is past, and that ' eternity which is to come.
  • * 1886 , , Systematic Theology: a Compendium and Commonplace-book Designed for the Use of Theological Students , page 190,
  • This theory regards creation as an act of God in eternity past.
  • * 2000 , , Human Nature in It's Fourfold State , page 247,
  • Those who like not the company of the saints on earth will get none of it in eternity'; but, as godless company is their delight now, they will afterwards get enough of it, when they have ' eternity to pass in the roaring and blaspheming society of devils and reprobates in hell.
  • (uncountable, philosophy) Existence outside of time.
  • * 1879 , (editor) ''Journal of Discourses , Volume 21,
  • We sometimes speak of eternity' in contradistinction to time; and often say, "through time and into '''eternity''';" and again "from '''eternity''' to '''eternity'''," which is simply another form of expressing the same idea, and "pass through time into '''eternity'''." in other words, time is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state—and we use the word time in contradistinction to the word ' eternity , merely for the accommodation of man in his finite sphere, that we may comprehend and learn to measure periods.
  • (countable) A period of time which extends infinitely far into the future.
  • (metaphysical) The remainder of time that elapses after death.
  • (informal, hyperbole) A comparatively long time.
  • It's been an eternity since we last saw each other.

    Usage notes

    * In the sense "a comparatively long time", eternity is always used with the indefinite article (an eternity ). * In philosophy, the common use of eternity' to refer to an infinite time is considered incorrect, ' eternity referring to existence outside of time; existence within time but of an infinite temporal duration is called everlastingness or sempiternity

    Synonyms

    * (existence outside of time) extratemporal * (infinite time) all time * (time extending infinitely far into the future) evermore, forever * (remainder of time that elapses after death) afterlife * (comparatively long time) an age, ages, centuries, donkey's years, hours, a lifetime, years, yonks

    Antonyms

    * (existence outside of time) sempiternity

    Derived terms

    * eternity past * eternity future

    Anagrams

    * entirety

    permanent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Without end, eternal.
  • Nothing in this world is truly permanent .
  • Lasting for an indefinitely long time.
  • The countries are now locked in a permanent state of conflict.

    Antonyms

    * impermanent, temporary

    Derived terms

    * permanently * permanent marker * permanent wave * permanent way

    Noun

    (wikipedia permanent) (en noun)
  • A chemical hair treatment imparting or removing curliness, whose effects typically last for a period of weeks; a perm.
  • * 1943 , (Raymond Chandler), The High Window , Penguin 2005, p. 8:
  • She had pewter-coloured hair set in a ruthless permanent , a hard beak and large moist eyes with the sympathetic expression of wet stones.
  • (linear algebra, combinatorics) Given an n \times n matrix a_{ij} \,, the sum over all permutations \pi \, of \prod_{i=1}^n{a_{i\pi(i)}}.
  • See also

    * determinant * ephemeral * relaxer * temporary

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (dated) To perm (the hair).