Permanence means the quality of lasting forever or for a very long time without changing. When something has permanence, it endures. A signature written in permanent marker has permanence because it won't wash off easily, while words written in pencil lack permanence since they can be erased. Ancient stone monuments like the pyramids were built with permanence in mind: their creators wanted them to stand for thousands of years.

The word often appears when people think about what lasts and what fades. A friendship built on trust and shared experiences has more permanence than one based only on living near each other. Scientists study the permanence of materials when designing buildings or creating art that needs to survive for generations. Teachers might talk about the permanence of your online posts, reminding you that things shared on the internet can last much longer than you might expect.

The opposite of permanence is impermanence or temporariness. Nothing in nature has absolute permanence. Even mountains eventually erode, and stars eventually burn out. But some things, like the lessons you learn or the impact of kind actions, can have a kind of permanence that outlasts any physical object.