per diem

1 of 3

adverb

per di·​em (ˌ)pər-ˈdē-əm  -ˈdī- 

: by the day : for each day

per diem

2 of 3

adjective

1

: based on use or service by the day : daily

2

: paid by the day

per diem

3 of 3

noun

plural per diems

1

: a daily allowance

2

: a daily fee

Examples of per diem in a Sentence

Adverb

Employees will be given $20 per diem for expenses.

Noun

He received a $30 per diem for food.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In June, Winn told board members that some staff members were using valet parking, exceeding meals per diem and staying in hotels that cost $900 per night. — Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Part of that is the $247 per diem lawmakers received for meals and other expenses. — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 26 June 2026

Adjective

Additionally, in an effort to cut government spending during the Great Depression, the Herbert Hoover administration cut Prohibition agents’ per diem pay from US$6 to $5. — Richard F. Hamm, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026

The Assembly speaker is the only lawmaker who receives more than the $60,924 salary each member earns, plus per diem expenses. — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026

Noun

Its report accused him of diverting funds for fictitious missions and claiming reimbursals for per diem costs and plane tickets for nearly a dozen trips between 2019 and 2024. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

There are a host of other incentives as well, from per diems to boosts to their retirement benefits. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Medieval Latin

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for per diem

• abeam
• airstream
• bloodstream
• daydream
• downstream
• esteem
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream

Kids Definition

per diem

adverb

per di·​em

(ˌ)pər-dē-əm, 

-ˈdī-

: by the day : for each day

per diem adjective

Medical Definition

Perdiem

trademark

Per·​di·​em pər-ˈdē-ˌem, -əm 

—used for a laxative preparation of psyllium seed husks and senna

Legal Definition

per diem

1 of 3 adverb

per di·​em pər-ˈdē-əm, -ˈdī- 

: by the day : for each day

paid per diem

per diem

2 of 3 adjective

1

: based on use or service by the day

per diem compensation

2

: paid or calculated by the day

per diem interest

per diem

3 of 3 noun

1

: a daily allowance

received a per diem for expenses

2

: a daily fee

paid a per diem for maintenance of the equipment

Etymology

Adverb

Latin