perse

1 of 3

adjective (1)

: of a dark grayish blue resembling indigo

per se

2 of 3

adverb

(ˌ)pər-ˈsā,
 also  per-ˈsā,
or
(ˌ)pər-ˈsē How to pronounce per se (audio)
: by, of, or in itself or oneself or themselves : as such : intrinsically

per se

3 of 3

adjective (2)

: being such inherently, clearly, or as a matter of law
a per se conflict of interest

Did you know?

We generally use per se to distinguish between something in its narrow sense and some larger thing that it represents. Thus, you may have no objection to educational testing per se, but rather to the way testing is done. An opposition party may attack a president's policy not because they dislike the policy per se but because they want to weaken the president. And when New York's police chief decided to crack down on small crimes, it wasn't the small crimes per se that were his target, but instead the larger crimes which he believed would be reduced because of this new approach.

Examples of perse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
None of these are cinematic sins per se, but since the central players and plot develop at a glacial pace, the stylistic choices are little more than white noise humming through (and adding to) the slog. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 By tapping and touching, the sightless person does not feel the cane per se but the objects—the curb, the doorway—that are felt through the tool, in the same way sighted people experience these objects through their eyes. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The thing that actually characterizes the experience of the beautiful is not the pleasure, per se. Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 30 Jan. 2024 In the middle of the twentieth century, before the advent of the computer-nerd and tech-bro stereotypes, crosswords and computing were not seen as markers of intelligence per se. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024 The inference is that, rather than focus on director age per se, or on superficial factors (e.g., speech, gait, appearance), the more thoughtful focus should be on the individual director’s capabilities to satisfy their duties. Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 That's not to say maintaining such a lifestyle is easy per se; Stewart takes it seriously. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2024 The decision rested not on the size of the pay package per se, but rather on the fact that no serious efforts were undertaken to ensure that the pay package was in the best interest of shareholders. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 The plaintiffs are not asking for crypto assets to be returned to customers, per se, but for a more handsome compensation package that reflects their ownership of the crypto FTX has recovered. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Kendall has always been on a pretty individual, and individualistic, path in terms of his pursuit of the crown, per se. Clark Collis, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2023 Harden and the Rockets didn't enter the 2020 playoffs as championship favorites per se, though the partnership between Houston's superstar and then-co-star Russell Westbrook was quite successful for much of the 2019-20 season. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 15 Mar. 2023 Instead, Lucid leaders see a bright future in cars that aim for maximum efficiency — rather than range per se — via smaller, more-affordable batteries. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2023 The band’s dazzling creations were not jazz, fusion or world music, per se, but a beguiling combination of all of them — and more. San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2023 This price point is exceptional for beginners who want to try juicing for the first time, per se, for its health benefits. Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Nov. 2022 Indeed, many in the past have made strong points that disruption like this, per se, is overrated. Jens Martin Skibsted, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022 Not pita, per se — there’s no pocket, for one — but closer to a compact version of laffa, the high-hydration Iraqi bread that was an early inspiration. oregonlive, 16 Dec. 2022 While not a debate — per se — the two candidates who are hoping to win your vote on Nov. 8 sat with me separately for two segments, answering essentially the same questions. Carol Cain, Detroit Free Press, 30 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perse.' 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

Adjective (1)

Middle English pers, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin persus

Adverb

Latin

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1574, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

circa 1655, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perse was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near perse

Cite this Entry

“Perse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

per se

1 of 2 adverb
1
: inherently, strictly, or by operation of statute, constitutional provision or doctrine, or case law
the transaction was illegal per se
see also negligence per se at negligence, nuisance per se at nuisance
2
: without proof of special damages or reference to extrinsic circumstances
defamatory statements that were actionable per se
compare per quod

per se

2 of 2 adjective
: being such inherently, clearly, or by operation of statute, constitutional provision or doctrine, or case law
it is clear that licensing of adult entertainment establishments is not a per se violation of the First AmendmentClub Southern Burlesque, Inc. v. City of Carrollton, 457 S.E.2d 816 (1995)
a per se conflict of interest
Etymology

Adverb

Latin, by, of, or in itself

Biographical Definition

Perse

biographical name

St. John see Aléxis Saint-Léger léger
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