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

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Compare meaning

How does perhaps compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• perhaps vs. maybe

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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

See Examples For:

perhaps

As the director Barrie Kosky observed in an interview earlier this year, the famous spectacles occupy perhaps 20 minutes of roughly 16 hours of music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

But she called coyotes “bold explorers” and “extroverts,” noting it was perhaps not surprising they’d be the pioneers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

His testimony was perhaps unsurprising - after all, nobody apart from his wife had been prepared to speak up for him in court as part of the defence's case.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Which wasn’t, perhaps, the only conclusion Mullineaux would’ve wanted the people to take from his talk.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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