perhaps

American  

[per-haps] / pərˈhæps /

adverb

1. maybe; possibly.

   Perhaps the package will arrive today.

---

perhaps British  

/ pəˈhæps, præps /

adverb

1. 1. possibly; maybe

   2. ( as sentence modifier )

      he'll arrive tomorrow, perhaps

      perhaps you'll see him tomorrow

---

1. it may happen, be so, etc; maybe

Etymology

Origin of perhaps

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier perhappes, perhapis “by haps”; equivalent to per + hap ¹ + -s ¹

---

Compare meaning

How does perhaps compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• perhaps vs. maybe

---

Explanation

Perhaps means about the same thing as maybe: things that perhaps could happen might happen, or they might not. When someone asks if you want to do something and you say "Perhaps" — you haven't committed. It's another way of saying "I don't know" or "It's possible. Who knows?" People use perhaps when talking about things they aren't sure about, or things they don't want to answer in a decisive way. When a friend says, "Perhaps we'll go to that movie," don't count on it. He's keeping his options open.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perhaps

Broadcasters have ramped up experiments with format, style and tone - Disney+ even had a dog on set during their coverage - but perhaps unsurprisingly, not every idea proves to be successful.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

But perhaps the most damning testimonial comes from Musk himself – or rather, existing audio recordings of Musk delivered by an AI version of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, since he refused to participate.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

And if household robots ever become commonplace, perhaps a tiny bit of their intelligence could be traced back to their time in my apartment.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

For tenants, affordability is cheaper rent — and perhaps the option to buy their own home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

And perhaps she did to Strong Jonn, too, for he was looking at her admiringly.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---