perse

1 of 3

adjective (1)

ˈpərs 

: of a dark grayish blue resembling indigo

per se

2 of 3

adverb

(ˌ)pər-ˈsā

also per-ˈsā

or

(ˌ)pər-ˈsē 

: 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

This isn’t an argument against your plan, per se. —R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

But in the cooler season, in January, February, March, in many parts of the country, there's an urgent need to really burn areas under cooler conditions so that wildfires do not get to be wild per se. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Part of him wanted to remain at McLaren, a team that had helped create the Senna legend, per se. —Jerry Perez, The Drive, 16 Apr. 2026

The lawsuit accuses Boelter of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligence per se, according to the civil complaint filed in Minnesota District Court on Thursday. —Riley Moser, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

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

Adverb

Latin

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1574, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

circa 1655, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perse

• curse
• hearse
• purse
• terse
• vers
• verse
• worse
• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse

Legal Definition

per se

1 of 2 adverb

pər-ˈsā, ˌper-; pər-ˈsē 

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 Amendment

—Club 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