per se

[pur sey, see, per]

adverb

1. by, of, for, or in itself; intrinsically.

   This candidate is not a pacifist per se, but he is in favor of peaceful solutions when practicable.

   Synonyms: fundamentally, indigenously, inherently, innately

per se

/ ˈpɜː ˈseɪ /

adverb

1. by or in itself; intrinsically

Word History and Origins

Origin of per se¹

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin per sē “by itself,” translation of Greek kath’ autó

Word History and Origins

Origin of per se¹

Latin

Example Sentences

But these bull-market apologists are laboring under a fundamental misunderstanding of bubbles: They don’t trace to weak earnings per se, but to how far ahead of those earnings the market rises.

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Having grown up in a deeply evangelical community where strident gender roles managed to scrub the fun out of almost everything, I’d never been particularly invested in looking domestic, per se.

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It’s not a judgement, per se, it’s a risk assessment.

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He struggled to answer questions like “Why should it exist” and “Why should it go into the world,” as it felt his music always had to have a place, per se.

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It’s not even out of necessity per se, but more out of desire.

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