perhaps
Americanadverb
adverb
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:
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It perhaps hints at a steely determination to remain fixated and give his best at every opportunity, whether that be in training or during the intensity of a match.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
At one point, he mused that the company should perhaps look to build data centers in the desert.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
He may feel grief and even perhaps guilt as a result of inheriting a large sum of money from an individual who led a modest lifestyle herself.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
That made Germans' key strength -- long experience in improving internal combustion engines -- increasingly irrelevant and perhaps soon obsolete.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Her bleary eyes fluttered open, perhaps awoken by the light.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
