Meaning & use
semipermanent
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Lasting for a fairly long but limited time, not forever; intended to be temporary but durable.
Grammar: Usually not used with 'more' or 'most'; you say 'semipermanent' rather than 'more semipermanent'.
Patterns
- semipermanent structure
- semipermanent dye
- semipermanent job
The city built a semipermanent stage for the summer festival.
She used a semipermanent hair color that washes out after a few weeks.
After the earthquake, many families moved into semipermanent housing.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
In beauty contexts, describing a cosmetic effect (such as hair dye or makeup) that stays for weeks or months but can be removed.
Grammar: Often used before nouns like 'dye', 'color', or 'makeup'.
Patterns
- semipermanent dye
- semipermanent color
- semipermanent makeup
Semipermanent dyes are gentler on the hair than permanent ones.
She opted for semipermanent makeup before the wedding.
Common combinations
- semipermanent structure
- The semipermanent structure can be taken down in a day.
- semipermanent hair color
- Semipermanent hair color fades gradually with each wash.
- semipermanent housing
- Semipermanent housing is a step up from tents but not a real home.
- semipermanent job
- He took a semipermanent job while looking for something better.
Synonyms and how they differ
- temporary
- Temporary means lasting only a short time; semipermanent suggests it lasts longer and is more durable.
- long-lasting
- Long-lasting emphasizes duration but not the idea that it will eventually end; semipermanent implies it is not forever.
Opposites
Word family
- permanent adjective
- Lasting forever or for a very long time.
- semipermanently adverb
- In a way that lasts for a moderate but limited time.
Commonly confused: semipermanent or semi-permanent?
semipermanent vs semi-permanent
Some writers use a hyphen (semi-permanent); both forms are acceptable, but the closed form is more common in American English.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'semipermanent' fits best.
Choose one answer.
A semipermanent bridge lasts for a limited but fairly long time, which matches the meaning. Option An is wrong because semipermanent does not mean forever; option C uses 'forever', which contradicts the word; option D is wrong because a diamond is permanent, not semipermanent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semipermanent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.