perhaps

American  

[per-haps] / pərˈhæps /

adverb

1. maybe; possibly.

   Perhaps the package will arrive today.

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perhaps British  

/ pəˈhæps, præps /

adverb

1. 1. possibly; maybe

   2. ( as sentence modifier )

      he'll arrive tomorrow, perhaps

      perhaps you'll see him tomorrow

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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

Example Sentences

The ugly stories told by fellow cast members, directors, agents and innocent passersby have been recounted for years, perhaps most notoriously in the history “Live From New York” by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller.

From The Wall Street Journal

If futurists really want to help everyday people, perhaps their goal should be to help us deal with our anxiety about the future rather than to simply predict what will happen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Membership of the European Union is also a potential sticking point, perhaps less so for Russia than for countries that are ahead of Ukraine in the queue to join the EU.

From BBC

This is perhaps fitting for a movie based on an album that was pointedly noncommercial.

From The Wall Street Journal

Capacity could and perhaps should — be evaluated, but courts are generally very cautious about stripping autonomy without clear, current medical evidence.

From MarketWatch