Remaining fresh and relevant over time; enduring. Originally describing plants that retain their green leaves throughout the year.
From Middle English, literally 'ever green,' combining 'ever' (always) and 'green.' First used botanically in the 14th century, the figurative sense of 'enduring' or 'timeless' developed in the 19th century.
The metaphorical use of 'evergreen' perfectly captures how we think about permanence - we associate the unchanging green of conifers with reliability and constancy. In modern media, 'evergreen content' borrows this botanical metaphor to describe information that doesn't become outdated.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.