perse

adjective (1)

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\ 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

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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 The moniker isn't actually new, per se; rather, it's taken on a new definition as of late. — Devon Abelman, Allure, 29 Sep. 2021 The Burkos didn’t object to the COVID vaccine, per se. — oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2021 Presumably, the sensors are indicating that the self-driving car is no longer on the freeway per se, meanwhile, the map is indicating to the contrary. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 West remains one of the world’s most famous musicians, though his music, per se, has not really driven this fame for at least five years. — Paul Thompson, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2021 Experts agree that the best way to reduce your water footprint isn't to cut down on showers, per se, but limit the time of each one. — Lydia Wang, refinery29.com, 11 Aug. 2021 Moore said the project is not designed to generate electricity per se, but to develop the tools to create geothermal energy in a reliable, cost-effective way. — Jon Reed | Kuer, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 July 2021 Such criteria proved unworkable and harmful; indeed in the 1960s, LBJ’s antitrust chief, Donald Turner, warned against using the antitrust laws to attack bigness per se. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 30 June 2021 This is not reality per se, but a fantasy or dream about it. — Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 25 June 2021

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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“Perse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perse. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for perse

per se

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of per se

: by, of, or in itself

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