James HamblinMichael. K. MacIntyreJessica DamianoRichard Wolkomir 
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Which adjective do you think has existed longer in English, evergreen or perennial? If you count the hyphenated form ever-green (which of course means "always green"), then evergreen is older; its earliest known use dates from the 16th century. The hyphen-free form is first seen in writing from the 17th century as an adjective as well as a noun, meaning "conifer." The earliest known use of perennial as an adjective meaning "remaining green all year long" appears in the first half of the 17th century. Evergreen also wins in the more general "long lasting" sense. It began appearing in figurative use circa mid-17th century, whereas perennial began to be used with that "enduring" meaning in the early 18th.
Examples of evergreen in a Sentence
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
This perennial forms low mounds of pretty foliage, which is evergreen in places with mild winters.
—Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2024
No plant has shaped the Southern garden more than an evergreen shrub known as the azalea—particularly the Indica azalea which found its way to the South via Japan and got its name because at the time it was discovered, Asia was known as the East Indies.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
By incorporating choice native shrubs and evergreen grass-like plants, Zoomers are providing winter shelter for wildlife as well as insuring the spring and summer offerings of pollen and nectar.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
With evergreen fruit trees – citrus, avocado and guava – harvesting takes place over a period of several months.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024
This same philosophy applies to evergreen social issues, or those continually relevant and evolving over time.
—Antoine Andrews, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
Ahead, our selections for the best privacy trees and large shrubs, including fast growers, evergreen beauties, and even shade options: 1 Skip Laurel Skip laurels have glossy, evergreen foliage with spikes of white flowers in spring.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 8 Apr. 2023
Light This densely branched, tree-like, evergreen shrub needs time in the sun to bloom.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2024
Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024
Plant it near the back of the woody plant border, perhaps behind Carissa or dwarf yaupon hollies that can provide dark evergreen foliage as a nice contrast.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
This evergreen ground cover features dark green foliage that can handle foot traffic and being planted under trees.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
One reason Sixth Street can do such a deal is TAO, its massive, multi-strategy $27 billion evergreen pool of private capital.
—Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Insecticides should be sprayed in places where adult mosquitoes spend a lot of their downtime, such as in the holes in tree trunks and in boxwoods, ivy, evergreens, anything with heavy foliage that is cool and can hold moisture.
—Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
Each tile passes through 13 sets of hands while being made
Though the brand is leaning into its contemporary vision, one integral part of its operation has remained evergreen: every tile made is completely custom.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024
The shows are decades behind us, but the hushing effect of power and the quiet acceptance of predatory behavior is still an evergreen in Hollywood, as evidenced by all the folks who’ve released weak-sauce defenses, or maintained total radio silence since the documentary aired this week.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Alex Gurley has worked as an entertainment writer for over 10 years, covering everything from evergreen content to celebrities.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 6 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evergreen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Evergreen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evergreen. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
evergreen
1 of 2 adjective
evergreen
2 of 2 noun
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