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
Oppenheimer, a period piece that has grossed $954 million in theaters, harkens back to an era when big Hollywood productions took home the industry’s top awards, and not the smaller budget, art-house films that have dominated more recently.
—
Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024
Like many of the best period pieces, The Favourite eschews historical accuracy in favor of social chess in high society.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
Here Of course, this isn’t meant to denigrate the immense undertaking that is bringing a period piece to life through costume.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024
His dignified aura and classical training make Hyde a frequent presence in period pieces.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024
Marvel, generally speaking, does not do too many period pieces.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This is also a period piece, so the Production design, costumes, and props will
reflect a southern state during the early 1930s/40s, and have a focus
on sundown towns during that time period.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
Olivia Colman, ‘The Favourite’ (2019) Director Yorgos Lanthimos blew up the stuffy period piece with this gonzo 18th-century comedy.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Here's another period piece theme: Merchant Ivory movies.
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024
Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024
Like many of the best period pieces, The Favourite eschews historical accuracy in favor of social chess in high society.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
Here Of course, this isn’t meant to denigrate the immense undertaking that is bringing a period piece to life through costume.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024
His dignified aura and classical training make Hyde a frequent presence in period pieces.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024
Marvel, generally speaking, does not do too many period pieces.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This is also a period piece, so the Production design, costumes, and props will
reflect a southern state during the early 1930s/40s, and have a focus
on sundown towns during that time period.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
Olivia Colman, ‘The Favourite’ (2019) Director Yorgos Lanthimos blew up the stuffy period piece with this gonzo 18th-century comedy.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Here's another period piece theme: Merchant Ivory movies.
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'period piece.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1909, in the meaning defined above
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 19 Apr. 2024.
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