permanent magnet – a magnet that produces its own magnetic field. It can't be turned off

To remember the meaning of permanent magnet, use the following mnemonic:

Iron man was permanently attached to the magnets (permanent magnet) in the field and the off buttons wouldn't work (it can not be turned off).

A permanent magnet is a material that produces its own persistent magnetic field without requiring an external power source, or electric current. These magnets are made from ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt or specialised alloys like neodymium and alnico, in which magnetic domains (tiny regions where atomic magnetic fields are aligned) are permanently aligned in the same direction, creating a strong overall magnetic field. 

Each permanent magnet has two poles - a north pole and a south pole - and the magnetic field lines always run from north pole to the south pole outside the magnet. 

Magnetic fields have the convention that they travel from north to south on a magnet.

How can we remember this?

If we start with the north end of the magnet, which we should recognise from previous pictures as being coloured red, then the following picture will help you remember the arrow direction:

Remember that Santa in red leaves the north pole to deliver all the presents.

Santa in RED LEAVES the NORTH POLE

LINES LEAVE THE MAGNET AT RED AND NORTH

Unlike electromagnets which only produce a magnetic field when an electrical current flows through them, permanent magnets maintain their magnetism all the time, though they can lose their magnetic properties if heated strongly, dropped repeatedly, or hammered, as these actions can disrupt the alignment of the magnetic domains inside the material.