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

My involvement with the academy has not been focused on that per se. — Los Angeles Times, "New academy president David Rubin on diversity, the Academy Museum and dealing with controversy," 8 Aug. 2019 For painting per se: Lucien Freud, John Walker and Willem de Kooning. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Know, "Denver Art Museum’s star curator, Timothy Standring, throws a show of his own work," 5 Aug. 2019 Not all of the people who volunteer for these assignments are artists or photographers, per se. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, "Photo Requests from Solitary Confinement," 8 July 2019 But the problem with addiction isn’t drug use per se. — German Lopez, Vox, "The simple idea that could help end America’s opioid epidemic," 26 Dec. 2018 According to Steve Zurn, general manager of Glendale Water & Power, future approval of engines was not a concession, per se — it is required by law. — Lila Seidman, Glendale News-Press, "Glendale goes forward with gas power plant, but environmentalists anticipate a greener outcome," 24 July 2019 As for its letters page per se, overly male or not, the Times does a decent job of running missives that are thoughtful, cogent, and well expressed. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Fifty-Fifty Follies," 10 June 2019 Still, in a small but profound way, Dansky’s hope for constant confrontation has come to pass—not simply through LGBTQ visibility per se, but through the argument underlying it: Gay is okay. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Tracing the Internal Queer Revolution," 26 June 2019 At different points in Japanese history, the emperor was seen as a manifestation of gods, but was not worshiped as a god per se. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Learn about the history—and future—of the Japanese monarchy," 29 Apr. 2019

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