p

1 of 5

noun

ˈpē 

variants often P

plural p's or ps ˈpēz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 16th letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic p

2

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter p

3

: one designated p especially as the 16th in order or class

4

[abbreviation for pass]

a

: a grade rating a student's work as passing

b

: one graded or rated with a P

5

: something shaped like the letter P

p

2 of 5

abbreviation (1)

1

page; pages

2

parental generation

3

part

4

participle

5

past

6

pater

7

pawn

8

pence; penny

9

per

10

peseta

11

peso

12

petite

13

piano

14

pico-

15

pint

16

pipe

17

pitch

18

pole

19

port

20

power

21

pro

22

progressive

23

proton

24

purl

P

3 of 5

abbreviation (2)

1

pressure

2

[French poids] weight

P

4 of 5

symbol

phosphorus

p-

5 of 5

abbreviation (3)

para-

Did you know?

Words Starting With P

Browse 30,821 words and phrases that start with the letter P, from pa to pyx-jury.

Examples of p in a Sentence

Noun

a word that starts with a p

a word that starts with p

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The spending is heavily dominated by staff travel, transportation and lodging, which make up the vast majority of the top expenditures, per P-card data reviewed by the Herald after a public records request. — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2026

Of the 87% of S & P 500 companies that have reported thus far, 78% have beaten analyst' earnings expectations, according to a JPMorgan note. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Production designer Ryan Warren Smith (The Holdovers), costume designer Chloe Karmin (Succession), and music supervisor Mandy Mamlet (Challengers) were among the crew members tasked with restoring P-town to its glory, circa 1975. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Air Force market research released before the current program indicated the service wanted a successor that matches or exceeds the protection offered by the EEU-2A/P while integrating more effectively with modern helmets and flight equipment. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing p

• mind one's p's and q's
• p's and q's
• p-type
• watch one's p's and q's

Kids Definition

p

noun

ˈpē

often capitalized

: the 16th letter of the English alphabet

Medical Definition

P

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

parental

2

part

3

percentile

4

pharmacopoeia

5

pint

6

pole

7

population

8

position

9

positive

10

posterior

11

pressure

12

pulse

13

pupil

P

2 of 3 symbol

phosphorus

p-

3 of 3 abbreviation

para-

p-dichlorobenzene