period piece

noun

: a work (as of literature, art, furniture, cinema, or music) whose special value lies in its evocation of a historical period

Examples of period piece in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The period piece Under the Same Sun (Bajo el mismo sol), directed by Spanish filmmaker Ulises Porra, takes place in 19th century La Española, the colonial Caribbean island now shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026 Depp recently shifted his attention to non-US movies and appeared in a period piece Jeanne du Barry. Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 Netflix is home to numerous spy movies of this sort, with notable originals like 2022's The Gray Man alongside rousing period pieces like Operation Mincemeat (2022) and Official Secrets (2019) telling real-life stories of international intrigue. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026 Setting period pieces to contemporary music. Daniela Tijerina, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for period piece

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of period piece was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Period piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period%20piece. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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