perhaps

1 of 2

adverb

per·​haps pər-ˈhaps 

ˈpraps

: possibly but not certainly : maybe

perhaps

2 of 2

noun

: something open to doubt or conjecture

Synonyms of perhaps

Adverb

• maybe
• possibly
• probably

Examples of perhaps in a Sentence

Adverb

perhaps we will not have to take this exam, but I doubt it

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Had Marmoush played his new team-mate in, perhaps the Scotland captain would have done the same for Mohammed Kudus. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The company’s experts realized that, if the tapestry could not be rotated and stored, perhaps it could be stored and then rotated. — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

After a brief moment, Cristobal instead gave perhaps the understatement of the night. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

The people Greene makes films about look to reassert control over their realities and thus perhaps move forward. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

per + hap

First Known Use

Adverb

circa 1520, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1643, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perhaps

• bitmaps
• bootstraps
• collapse
• elapse
• mishaps
• prolapse
• relapse
• satraps
• wiretaps
• apps
• caps
• chaps

Kids Definition

perhaps

adverb

per·​haps

pər-ˈ(h)aps, 

ˈpraps

: possibly but not certainly

Etymology

Adverb

from per (preposition) "by, according to" and haps, plural of hap "chance, chance occurrence" — related to happen, happy, mishap