evergreen

1 of 2

adjective

ev·​er·​green ˈe-vər-ˌgrēn 

1

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

2

a

: retaining freshness or interest : perennial

b

: 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

2 of 2

noun

plural evergreens

1

: 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

2

plural : twigs and branches of evergreen plants used for decoration

3

: 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

Adjective

Full sun Soil Type: Nutrient-rich, well-draining Soil pH: Neutral (6.5-7.5) 11 of 11 Winter Heath Winter heath is a low-growing evergreen shrub or ground cover that produces white, pink, or purple blooms in March and attractive year-round foliage. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2025

Lewis dramatizes evergreen American concerns: fearmongering against foreigners, worries of socialism, rejection of fair labor practices, as well as familiar, collective anxieties about change and social progress. —The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025

Noun

Its small oval evergreen leaves flank low-growing, wide-spreading branches. —Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Mar. 2025

The country’s untamed beauty is as soaring as its limestone karsts, wild as its lush evergreen rainforests, and calming as its pristine beaches. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing evergreen

• evergreen oak

Rhymes for evergreen

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

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Kids Definition

evergreen

1 of 2 adjective

ev·​er·​green ˈev-ər-ˌgrēn 

: having leaves that remain green and functional through more than one growing season

most conifers are evergreen trees

compare deciduous

evergreen

2 of 2 noun

1

: an evergreen plant

also : conifer

2

plural : twigs and branches of evergreen plants used for decoration