Definition of perse
:of a dark grayish blue resembling indigo
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From the M-W Editors
Origin and Etymology of perse
Middle English pers, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin persus
Definition of per se
:by, of, or in itself or oneself or themselves :as such :intrinsically
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.
Origin and Etymology of per se
First Known Use of per se
circa 1655
PERSE Defined for English Language Learners
Law Dictionary
legal Definition of per se
1
:inherently, strictly, or by operation of statute, constitutional provision or doctrine, or case law
- the transaction was illegal per se
2
:without proof of special damages or reference to extrinsic circumstances
- defamatory statements that were actionable per se
Origin and Etymology of per se
Latin, by, of, or in itself
legal Definition of per se
: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
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