Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PERENNIAL

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connect today's word to others: Today's word, perennial, is Latin for "(lasting) through the year." See if you can recall a word that's Greek for, approximately, "lasting for a single day." It's e______al. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "PERENNIAL" Something perennial lasts all year long; OR lasts for a very, very long time;  OR happens again and again for a long time. Pronunciation: puh REN ee ull Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a perennial thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was perennial.") Other forms: perennially, perenniality How to use it: Because this word first described plants that live all year long, when you call something perennial, you're hinting that it renews itself again and again--whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. You might be specific or literal and talk about perennial plants, perennial springs and streams, perennial allergies, perennial insect colonies, or perennial events and celebrations. But let's focus on more general, figurative usage. Talk about perennial issues and problems and challenges, perennial efforts and attempts, perennial struggles and battles, perennial topics of conversation, someone's perennial philosophy, someone's perennial kindness, or perennial youth, hunger, servitude, etc. examples: The perennial demand for nutritional supplements keeps them profitable. Her addiction is a perennial attempt to fill an agonizing void. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "perennial" means when you can explain it without saying "everlasting" or "recurring." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(In a certain situation, or among a certain group of people), _____ remain(s) a perennial topic of conversation." Example: "In the teachers' lounge, helicopter parents remain a perennial topic of conversation." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with some beautifully worded passages from the Bible as we recall words we've studied before. From our previous issue: "So they that forsake the law praise ungodliness; but they that love the law _______ themselves with a wall." (New International Version, Proverbs, chapter 28, verse 4.) What's the missing word? It means "to strengthen yourself so you can be prepared, in body or spirit, for whatever you need to accomplish." Answer: fortify. Try this today: "When a king sits on his throne to judge, he w_____s out all evil with his eyes." (New International Version, Proverbs, chapter 20, verse 8.) What's the missing word? It means "gets rid of the undesired parts of something in order to keep only the desired parts." review today's word: 1. One opposite of PERENNIAL is A. CURSORY B. CONFINED C. INFREQUENT 2. Thanks to the university's perennial growth, _____. A. the freshman class is the largest it's ever been--for the fifteenth year in a row B. the sudden bump in funding will ensure that the library can be repaired C. department leaders are looking again at where to cut corners Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A