apiece

American  

[uh-pees] / əˈpis /

adverb

1. for each piece, thing, or person; for each one; each.

   We ate an orange apiece. The cakes cost a dollar apiece.

---

apiece British  

/ əˈpiːs /

adverb

1. (postpositive) for, to, or from each one

   they were given two apples apiece

---

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

By 2024, vast majorities in both parties – 64% apiece – reported such negative opinions.

From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026

Bank fees for the biggest IPOs are significant: Morgan Stanley and Goldman pulled in fees of around $100 million apiece for SpaceX.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

Earlier, Sophie Ecclestone took three wickets and Dani Gibson and Charlie Dean two apiece, as England dominated much of Ireland's innings of 118-9.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

His home run tied the score at three apiece, and Tucker wasn’t finished.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

I fed the chickens, gathered the eggs, and divided them, too, four apiece.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

Related Words

• aside
• individually
• respectively
• separately