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
The soundtrack is loaded with classic rock and soul, and practically every scene references the films of that era — particularly gritty crime thrillers like Charley Varrick and The Outfit — or period pieces set around the same time.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
Sinners is almost two movies in one: a vampire slaughterhouse film that’s also a period piece about the near-impossibility of upward mobility in the segregation economy.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
My intent for this month’s movie column was to review The Brutalist, the three-and-a-half-hour period piece that’s supposedly a throwback to the days of extended cinematic splendor (punctuated by a welcome intermission).
—Ross Douthat, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
But in the same way that Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette mixes period pieces with new wave music from the ’70s and ’80s, Palatine takes an old-school raw perfume ingredient and gives it a modern lease on life.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for period piece
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.
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
Sinners is almost two movies in one: a vampire slaughterhouse film that’s also a period piece about the near-impossibility of upward mobility in the segregation economy.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
My intent for this month’s movie column was to review The Brutalist, the three-and-a-half-hour period piece that’s supposedly a throwback to the days of extended cinematic splendor (punctuated by a welcome intermission).
—Ross Douthat, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
But in the same way that Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette mixes period pieces with new wave music from the ’70s and ’80s, Palatine takes an old-school raw perfume ingredient and gives it a modern lease on life.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for period piece
Cite this Entry
“Period piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period%20piece. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share