apiece
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of apiece
First recorded in 1425–75, apiece is from late Middle English a pease. See a 2, piece
Explanation
The adverb apiece means "for each" or "to each." If your grandmother gives you and your cousins ten dollars apiece, she hands each of you a ten dollar bill. When you sell cookies at a bake sale for a dollar apiece, every individual cookie costs one dollar. And if two competing baseball teams have eleven wins apiece, it means that they're tied for the season so far — they've each won eleven games. Apiece, first used in the 1500s, was a contraction of a pece, which was almost always used to talk about coins or items for sale.
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.
Jersey Mike’s on Wednesday said it had priced its initial public offering of around 43 million shares at $23 apiece, right in the middle of its expected price range.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Space Force bought 18 SpaceX Falcon 9 launches for about $89 million apiece.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
For instance, the suit alleges that in 2024 Penske Media sold “Variety Golden Globes” dinner series offering access to Golden Globes voters at $70,000 apiece, as cited in media reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
He has three goals apiece against Croatia, Switzerland and France.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The can had gotten low, but Genie figured he could divvy out the flies fairly, four or five apiece, and each of the Jackson Five would get enough.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
