Words / B2

PURM-uh-n-uh-ntlee/ˈpɜːmənəntli/

Permanently means in a way that lasts for all time, or for the foreseeable future: permanently closed; permanently resident. Opposite: temporarily; permanent is the adjective (already in the dictionary). The lab was permanently closed after the inspection. Mix-up: permit is permission; personally. Do not write permanently for a one-term cover timetable.

Meaning

In a way that lasts for all time, or for the foreseeable future.

Examples

• “The lab was permanently closed after the inspection, the notice said.”
• “She is not permanently resident, which is the immigration-status sense in the source.”

Good to know

permanently + adjective / verb; permanently closed / resident. Adjective: permanent. Opposite: temporarily. Trap: permit. Notices, housing, and news. For good, not “for now”.

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