evergreen

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adjective

ev·er·green ˈe-vər-ˌgrēn

: having foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season compare deciduous sense 1

: retaining freshness or interest : perennial

: universally and continually relevant : not limited in applicability to a particular event or date

This morning writer Erin Gloria Ryan tweeted, "It has not been a good 24 hours for masculinity." It's a sort of evergreen tweet that might be true at most times over the last several thousand years.—James Hamblin

He'll spend a good chunk of the special talking about his family, and some time discussing politics, too, though he has been admonished to stay close to "evergreen" material for re-runs.—Michael. K. MacIntyre

evergreen

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noun

plural evergreens

: a plant having foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season

If temperatures are above 40 degrees, spray broadleaf evergreens with an antidesiccant to ward off winter dehydration and windburn.—Jessica Damiano

especially : an evergreen conifer

Evergreens, on the other hand, endure winter's ice with hard, tough-skinned needles that continue food production throughout the seasons. —Richard Wolkomir

plural : twigs and branches of evergreen plants used for decoration

: something that retains its freshness, interest, or popularity

Did you know?

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum: as you are one of the most universally recognized symbols for both the secular and religious observances of Christmas, decorating your lovely branches is an evergreen tradition in two ways. First, because you are almost always an evergreen tree, aka a conifer (such as a fir, spruce, or pine) whose foliage remains green through more than one growing season. Second, because bringing an evergreen into one’s home in late December is an evergreen tradition: one that has occurred perennially, or yearly, since at least the 16th century, when people in what is now Germany used evergreens to celebrate December 24th, the feast day of Adam and Eve. The adjective evergreen is older than its noun counterpart; it was first used literally to describe trees and their foliage, then later took on the figurative senses of “perennial” and “continually relevant.”

Examples of evergreen in a Sentence

Adjective Most pines are evergreen trees.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Adjective

Like most agapanthus in the Southern Living Collection, Ever White™ produces evergreen foliage that adds color and texture through the winter months. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2025 This perennial, evergreen vine grows 6’ – 10’ tall and blooms in spring and summer. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025

Noun

Prune away the lower limbs of evergreens that are within the fire-safe zone. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025 Night Blooming Jasmine is a bushy perennial evergreen shrub with arching branches that can be trained to grow up a trellis. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for evergreen