period piece

noun

1. something, as a novel, painting, or building, of interest or value primarily because it evokes or epitomizes a particular period of history.

period piece

noun

1. an object, a piece of music, a play, etc, valued for its quality of evoking a particular historical period: often one regarded as of little except historical interest

Word History and Origins

Origin of period piece¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

A period piece set in post-World War II Paris, this series logged two seasons of six episodes each.

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As costume designers made their rounds, shopping for period pieces, they continually told Barnett that she should be renting instead of selling.

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His task, he says, was injecting contemporary ideas about queerness into a period piece.

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“Walt Disney — A Magical Life” is a work of theater, ultimately, and it’s a period piece.

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As our modern times continue to become ever so unprecedented, you can find me frothing at the mouth for a star-studded period piece with low stakes and high fashion.

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