changeless

Changeless is an adjective describing something that does not change in its essential properties, state, or quantity. It is commonly used to distinguish constants or enduring qualities from what is mutable or variable. The term is often encountered in philosophy, theology, science, and literature, where permanence or resistance to alteration is a defining attribute.

Etymology: The word is formed from change plus the suffix -less. In English, its current sense developed as a straightforward negation of change, with attestations dating to the early modern period.

In philosophy, changelessness appears in debates about flux. Heraclitus stressed constant change as the fundamental nature of reality, while Parmenides argued that true being is changeless. Plato further distinguished changing phenomena from unchanging eternal forms, which give order to the changing world.

In theology, changelessness is closely related to immutability. Many traditions describe God as changeless, eternal, and unchanging in will and essence, even as creation undergoes continual change. Philosophers and theologians debate whether true changelessness is compatible with divine action or knowability.

In science and mathematics, the concept appears as constants and invariants—quantities that do not vary within a given framework. The idea of a changeless lawfulness is often contrasted with theories that allow change, development, or evolution over time. In literature, "changeless" is used to evoke endurance, constancy, or timeless love.

See also: immutable, constant, invariance, immutability, permanency.