perse

adjective (1)

\ ˈpərs

Definition of perse

(Entry 1 of 4)

: of a dark grayish blue resembling indigo

per se

adverb

\ (ˌ)pər-ˈsā also per-ˈsā or (ˌ)pər-ˈsē

Definition of per se (Entry 2 of 4)

: by, of, or in itself or oneself or themselves : as such : intrinsically

per se

adjective (2)

Definition of per se (Entry 3 of 4)

: being such inherently, clearly, or as a matter of law a per se conflict of interest

Perse

biographical name

Definition of Perse (Entry 4 of 4)

St. John — see Aléxis Saint-Léger léger

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about perse

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Did You Know?

We generally use per se to distinguish between something in its narrow sense and some larger thing that it represents. Thus, you may have no objection to educational testing per se, but rather to the way testing is done. An opposition party may attack a president's policy not because they dislike the policy per se but because they want to weaken the president. And when New York's police chief decided to crack down on small crimes, it wasn't the small crimes per se that were his target, but instead the larger crimes which he believed would be reduced because of this new approach.

Examples of perse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Second thing, accusing someone of gang rape is slander, per se. — Fox News, "Kavanaugh denies assault allegations in Fox News interview," 25 Sep. 2018 While this is not a kids' restaurant per se, the kitchen did a wonderful job accommodating a youngster with us on one visit, allowing for a half-portion of a scrumptious Bolognese dish. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "Luca West owners bring exceptional Italian dining experience to second restaurant (review)," 15 Feb. 2018 Though Midge isn't modeled after Mabley per se, her importance in comedic history can't be ignored—both for breaking boundaries as an African American and out lesbian in the 1920s, and for her influence on later comedians. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," 16 Dec. 2018 There’s nothing wrong with old people per se, but essentially everyone has lost a step or two both mentally and physically by their mid-70s. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "It’s ridiculous that it’s unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president," 12 Dec. 2018 And King wasn’t a politician per se, meaning elected official or candidate, but he was engaged in politics. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "DI Politics Chat: What Do We Forget About MLK?," 4 Apr. 2018 What is happening in Bloomington is less obvious because the pros don’t represent Indiana, per se, but affiliate with clubs paying them stipends. — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Is Indiana swimming back? Underdogs putting world on notice," 25 Mar. 2018 The broad commodity selloff this year should certainly worry investors, but not because of China per se. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "Commodity Woes Run Deeper Than China," 28 Nov. 2018 With his over-concern with bigness per se, Brandeis had nothing to say about these novel issues, and neither, alas, does Mr. Wu. — Richard A. Epstein, WSJ, "‘The Curse of Bigness’ Review: Revisiting the Gilded Age," 2 Dec. 2018

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

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The first known use of perse was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for perse

per se

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of per se

formal : by, of, or in itself

See the full definition for per se in the English Language Learners Dictionary

per se

adverb

\ pər-ˈsā, ˌper-; pər-ˈsē

Legal Definition of per se

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : inherently, strictly, or by operation of statute, constitutional provision or doctrine, or case law the transaction was illegal per se — see also negligence per se at negligence, nuisance per se at nuisance

2 : without proof of special damages or reference to extrinsic circumstances defamatory statements that were actionable per se — compare per quod

per se

adjective

Legal Definition of per se (Entry 2 of 2)

: being such inherently, clearly, or by operation of statute, constitutional provision or doctrine, or case law it is clear that licensing of adult entertainment establishments is not a per se violation of the First Amendment — Club Southern Burlesque, Inc. v. City of Carrollton, 457 S.E.2d 816 (1995) a per se conflict of interest