Definitions

per se

[pur sey, see, per] / pɜr ˈseɪ, ˈsi, pər /

ADVERB

essentially

Synonyms

WEAK

alone as such by and of itself by definition by its very nature by itself fundamentally in essence in itself independently intrinsically of itself singularly solely virtually

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If one party isn’t as aware of what’s going on as the other party, this isn’t an objectively “right” or “wrong” vignette, per se.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

In any case, he insists, "Yes" is not about Israel per se; rather, the country serves merely as a setting in which to observe that "strong feeling of chaos" he sees in the world today.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Yet “policy uncertainty” is not about policy change, per se, but rather about the unpredictability of future policy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Food delivery apps aren’t inherently bad, per se.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026

Variation and natural selection offer cogent explanations of the mechanism by which evolution might occur within a species, but they do not explain the formation of species per se.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee