period piece

noun

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Costello was paired up with his hero by the producers of the 1996 film Grace of My Heart, a period piece about ‘60s songwriters working in the Brill Building where Bacharach got his start. Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Feb. 2023 The English Patient, just to catch a movie, and remembering the Oscar buzz around that film: a period piece, beautifully acted and shot. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2022 Suzanne Allain adapted the screenplay from her own novel of the same name, a period piece that lovingly pays homage to the spirit of Jane Austen and other Regency rom-coms. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 25 May 2022 Now, she’s set to star in Amsterdam, a period piece from director David O. Russell, the filmmaker behind projects such as American Hustle and The Silver Linings Playbook. Leah Campano, Seventeen, 29 Apr. 2022 Australian director Baz Luhrmann is re-visiting his 2008 period piece Australia to turn it into a limited series for Hulu. Laura Zornosa, Time, 16 Dec. 2022 Still, the Piedmont home has its own narrative — one driven by bold, almost Technicolor hues that keep it from feeling like a fusty period piece — that unfolds from room to room. Aileen Kwun, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2022 The period piece, which will be set in Pueblo de Los Angeles and told in a telenovela style, will feature Valderrama pulling double duty as both Zorro and an executive producer. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 26 Nov. 2022 It’s Ireland in 1992, and a young woman who’s out walking by the shore stumbles onto a location shoot, some sort of period piece involving 18th century soldiers and old wooden ships. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Nov. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near period piece

Cite this Entry

“Period piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period%20piece. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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