per

preposition

\ ˈpər

Definition of per

(Entry 1 of 4)

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 instructionsas per usual

per

adverb

Definition of per (Entry 2 of 4)

: for each : apiece a bargain at $3.50 per

per

abbreviation

Definition of per (Entry 3 of 4)

1 period

2 person

per-

prefix

Definition of per- (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : throughout : thoroughly peruse

2a : 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 Using Per as a Preposition: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about per

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Synonyms for per

Synonyms: Preposition

by, in, through, via, with

Synonyms: Adverb

all, apiece, each, per capita

Using Per as a Preposition: Usage Guide

Preposition

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

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: Preposition

Uzbekistan, Brunei, Iran, and many other countries Americans might look down upon has a better rate on maternal death than Georgia, which has a death rate of 48.4 per 100,000 births. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Georgia's Six-Week Abortion Ban Claims to "Value Life"," 4 Apr. 2019 Attenborough chuckled amiably at her little quip, per the Times. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Looking Back at David Attenborough's Relationship with Queen Elizabeth and the Rest of the Royal Family," 4 Apr. 2019 The $216 million doled out last year amounted to $273,500 per unit for tournament results from 2012-2017. — Larry Fenn, The Seattle Times, "Money Madness: AP analysis shows growing gap in NCAA payouts," 27 Mar. 2019 Cook donuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. — Taylor Murray, Country Living, "Rooibos-Blueberry-Glazed Donut Holes," 19 Mar. 2019 For example, long stays in space accelerate bone deterioration—and part of the remedy, per NASA, is resistance training. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Tourist's Guide to Space," 12 Mar. 2019 Seattle came out running in that game, per usual, running on nine of 13 plays on a 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game and take a 7-0 lead, though the touchdown came on a 10-yard pass to Jaron Brown on first down. — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks mailbag: Debating Seattle’s late-game offensive philosophy," 4 Feb. 2019 Juul is paying a dividend of $150 per share to its investors as part of the arrangement, according to people close to the deal. — Theodore Schleifer, Recode, "In an extraordinary move, Juul is trying to make peace with its investors and employees by paying them more than $4 billion," 21 Dec. 2018 The staff haul armfuls of white flowers for his wife and fresh fruit platters—never cut, per presidential orders—for Mr. Biya, according to former hotel staff. — Joe Parkinson, WSJ, "Can’t Find Cameroon’s President? Try Geneva’s Intercontinental Hotel," 4 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

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, "Chicken, Turkey and Tuna Have a Beef With Your Burger," 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, "Samford volleyball preps for two key home matches this weekend," 2 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'per.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near per

Statistics for per

Last Updated

10 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for per

The first known use of per was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for per

per

preposition

English Language Learners Definition of per

: for each

somewhat formal : as directed by or stated in

See the full definition for per in the English Language Learners Dictionary

per

preposition

\ ˈpər

Kids Definition of per

1 : to or for each It cost us ten dollars per day.

2 : as directed by Construction was done per instructions.

per

preposition

\ ˈpər

Medical Definition of per

(Entry 1 of 2)

: by the means or agency of : by way of : through enter through the mouth lining and per the bloodstream to the stomach — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin blood per rectum — see per os