Permutation is a noun that means ‘a major change.’

The Latin word permutare (per myoo TAR ay) means ‘to change thoroughly.’ Our word of the day has changed only slightly after being imported into English and retained the same basic meaning. It  may help to think of a permutation as a mutation that significantly alters the thing it changes.

When Donna said she’d give me a haircut that would change my life, I was expecting a dramatic new style. But instead of the permutation I was expecting, I wound up with a look that wasn’t that different than the one I had before.