Permanently means lasting forever or for such a long time that it won't change back. When something happens permanently, it stays that way and cannot be easily reversed or undone.

If you write in permanent marker on a whiteboard, the ink won't wash off like regular marker would. If a library permanently closes, it's shut down for good, not just for the weekend. When a scar forms permanently on your skin, it may stay there for life.

Think of permanent teeth: once your baby teeth fall out and your adult teeth grow in, those are permanent because they're the only set you'll ever get.

Sometimes people use “permanently” to mean “for a very long time” even when something could theoretically change. A family might move permanently to a new city, meaning they don't plan to move back, even though moving back would be physically possible.

The opposite of permanent is temporary, meaning something that lasts only for a while. A temporary store might appear in a mall during the holidays and disappear afterward. When you make a permanent decision, you're committing to something that will last.