1
: by the means or agency of : through
per bearer
2
: with respect to every member of a specified group : for each
3
: according to
—often used with as
per instructions
as per usual
Using Per as a Preposition: Usage Guide
Per occurs most frequently in business contexts; its use outside such contexts is often criticized but is quite widespread, especially in sense 2. Its most common and natural nonbusiness uses always involve figures, usually in relation to price
$150 per performance
, automobiles
32 miles per gallon
55 miles per hour
, or sports.
averages 15 points and 9 rebounds per game
1
period
2
person
1
: throughout : thoroughly
peruse
2
a
: containing the largest possible or a relatively large proportion of a (specified) chemical element
perchloroethylene
b
: containing an element in its highest or a high oxidation state
perchloric acid
Synonyms
Preposition
Adverb
Examples of per in a Sentence
Preposition
The speed limit is 35 miles per hour.
The car gets 32 miles per gallon.
He averages 15 points per game.
Per your advice, I accepted their offer.
Adverb
you can have them at 50 cents per or three for $1.25
Recent Examples on the Web
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Their roster is stacked, led by two-time MVP and the league's no. 2 scorer, Breanna Stewart, and point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who topped the league in assists per game last year.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 14 May 2024
The only players in league history to average more than 20 points per game during a playoff run that ended with an NBA championship at age 35 or older are LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to Stathead.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
Officers from the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office and the Clifton Police Department assisted in the Arizona pursuit, per the report.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 14 May 2024
Young employees are missing nearly a day of work per week due to stress, the majority of staff members are at risk for burnout, and mental health struggles are the cause of a $47.6 billion productivity loss for the economy every year.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 May 2024
The music video features the singer-songwriter and Post Malone, who features on the single, cast as ex-lovers who, per the lyrics, carried on an affair that only lasted 14 days.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 20 Apr. 2024
Its offer of 15 euros per share is 21% above the share price the day before the consortium announced its takeover bid and 38.2% above the average of the last 20 trading days, according to the announcement.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Tourism boards in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami also shelled out cash—to the tune of approximately $116,000 per year, per city—for restaurants in their cities to be reviewed by Michelin.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, 1 July 2019
That’s helped bring per-pound retail prices for beef patties down 16% from their September 2015 high of $5.12 to about $4.31 in June, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
—Jacob Bunge, WSJ, 30 June 2018
Anderton, the Collierville, Tennessee, native averaged 11.78 assists per set and 2.00 digs per set as Samford improved to 6-6 in SoCon play.
—Samford Athletics, AL.com, 2 Nov. 2017
Preposition
For example, women can reduce their risk of death by 18% by doing 140 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, while men need 300 minutes to achieve the same benefit.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Their roster is stacked, led by two-time MVP and the league's no. 2 scorer, Breanna Stewart, and point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who topped the league in assists per game last year.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 14 May 2024
The only players in league history to average more than 20 points per game during a playoff run that ended with an NBA championship at age 35 or older are LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to Stathead.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
Officers from the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office and the Clifton Police Department assisted in the Arizona pursuit, per the report.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 14 May 2024
Young employees are missing nearly a day of work per week due to stress, the majority of staff members are at risk for burnout, and mental health struggles are the cause of a $47.6 billion productivity loss for the economy every year.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 May 2024
The music video features the singer-songwriter and Post Malone, who features on the single, cast as ex-lovers who, per the lyrics, carried on an affair that only lasted 14 days.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 20 Apr. 2024
Its offer of 15 euros per share is 21% above the share price the day before the consortium announced its takeover bid and 38.2% above the average of the last 20 trading days, according to the announcement.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Tourism boards in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami also shelled out cash—to the tune of approximately $116,000 per year, per city—for restaurants in their cities to be reviewed by Michelin.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Senior libero/setter Cassidy Donalson represented Spring Woods on the watch list after averaging a team-high 4.3 digs per set as a junior.
—Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, 1 July 2019
That’s helped bring per-pound retail prices for beef patties down 16% from their September 2015 high of $5.12 to about $4.31 in June, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
—Jacob Bunge, WSJ, 30 June 2018
Anderton, the Collierville, Tennessee, native averaged 11.78 assists per set and 2.00 digs per set as Samford improved to 6-6 in SoCon play.
—Samford Athletics, AL.com, 2 Nov. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'per.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near per
Cite this Entry
“Per.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Legal Definition
per
preposition
: as stated by
—used to indicate the author of an opinion with which the majority of judges concur
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