MEPX
Chapter 3 of 11All chapters
  1. 1How to learn a word
  2. 2Roots and affixes
  3. 3Time and presence
  4. 4Attitude and stance
  5. 5Care and precision
  6. 6Honesty and openness
  7. 7Surplus and shortage
  8. 8Change and stability
  9. 9Importance and scale
  10. 10Pairs people mix up
  11. 11Register and tone

Chapter 3 of 11

Time and presence

Ubiquitous, ephemeral, perennial.

The words

Ubiquitous means found everywhere. Ephemeral means lasting a very short time. Perennial means recurring year after year, so a perennial complaint keeps coming back.

  • Smartphones are ubiquitous. A trend is ephemeral.
  • Ubiquitous is about spread, not popularity.

Near neighbours

Transient and fleeting sit close to ephemeral, and pervasive sits close to ubiquitous, though pervasive carries a hint of something spreading through rather than simply being everywhere.