Permian

adjective

Perm·​ian ˈpər-mē-ən How to pronounce Permian (audio) ˈper- How to pronounce Permian (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the last period of the Paleozoic era or the corresponding system of rocks see Geologic Time Table
Permian noun

Examples of Permian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Antitrust advocates rightly note that the Exxon-Pioneer merger means the combined entity will control over 50% of the Permian oil field, but oil is, by definition, a global marketplace, and the Permian oil field is equivalent to just 5% of global production. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2023 Pioneer spent more than $10 billion buying two other Permian producers, Parsley Energy and DoublePoint Energy, in 2021. Clifford Krauss, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023 In its prime, the Pampaphoneus would have weighed around 881 pounds (about the size of a full-grown cow) and reached around nine feet in length—a fearful Permian predator, to say the least. Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023 The team discovered that various species of gorgonopsian occupied the top predator niche in what is now Karoo Basin in South Africa throughout the approximately million years of Permian extinction. Jeanne Timmons, New York Times, 22 May 2023 Energy companies announced $25 billion in deals this year, with Ovintiv Inc. leading the way with an agreement this month to buy Permian assets from EnCap Investments for about $4.3 billion. Rachel Butt, Bloomberg.com, 26 Apr. 2023 Energy companies have announced $25 billion in deals this year, with Ovintiv Inc. leading the way with an agreement this month to buy Permian assets from EnCap Investments for about $4.3 billion. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 26 Apr. 2023 Guadalupe Mountains National Park is part of the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef complex, Capitan Reef, and other activities include backpacking, camping, horseback riding, and birding. Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2023 Previously, paleontologists thought that reptiles outpaced ancient mammal relatives because the end-Permian catastrophe — regarded as the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history — cleared the field and offered plenty of ecological free space to whatever species survived. Riley Black, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Permian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Perm, former province in eastern Russia

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Permian was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near Permian

Cite this Entry

“Permian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Permian. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Permian

adjective
Perm·​ian ˈpər-mē-ən How to pronounce Permian (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the latest period of the Paleozoic era of geological history or the corresponding system of rocks see geologic time
Permian noun

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