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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film embeds its characters in a creative reimagining of Elizabethan period pieces, with costume design nominee Malgosia Turzanska drawing on the color of blood as inspiration for Anges’s garments. Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026 Audiences who endured the Miramax era have been browbeaten to believe that the best picture Oscar should go to a period piece that chokes out a sob from audiences. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026 The only film in the category that isn’t explicitly about music in some capacity is Train Dreams, a period piece about the early industrialization of the United States. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Jan. 2026 Yeah, and what’s really interesting is that five years later, rather than feeling like a period piece, the story feels even more resonant. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Period piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period%20piece. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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