periphery

American  

[puh-rif-uh-ree] / pəˈrɪf ə ri /

noun

plural

peripheries

1. the external boundary of any surface or area.

   Synonyms:

   perimeter, circumference

   Antonyms:

   center

2. the external surface of a body.

   Antonyms:

   center

3. the edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area.

4. the relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question.

   The preliminary research did not, of course, take me beyond the periphery of my problem.

5. Anatomy. the area in which nerves end.

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periphery British  

/ pəˈrɪfərɪ /

noun

1. the outermost boundary of an area

2. the outside surface of something

3. anatomy the surface or outermost part of the body or one of its organs or parts

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Etymology

Origin of periphery

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Late Latin peripherīa, from Greek periphéreia “circumference,” literally, “a bearing round,” from peri- peri- + phér(ein) “to bear” + -eia -y ³; replacing Middle English periferie, from Medieval Latin periferīa, variant spelling of Late Latin peripherīa

Explanation

When something is on the periphery of your vision, you can only see it when you’re looking sideways. Periphery means outside the boundary of something. If you’re on the periphery of a group, you’re close to it but not part of it. A band on the periphery of a particular scene might have opened for another band a few times, but it's never headlined or gotten their big break. Periphery comes from a Greek word meaning "to carry around."

Example Sentences

Recognizing that geography still matters, they extended their defensive periphery seaward, initially to the first island chain, from Japan to the South China Sea, and then to the second chain and beyond.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The Gulf monarchies have worked hard to stay on the periphery of Middle East conflict, relying on their stability to attract business, trade and tourism.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Abraham has not played for his country since starting against Italy in the Nations League in 2022 - and would have remained on the periphery if he stayed in Turkey.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

The specialized nature of kickers can place them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop’s teammates and coaches were supportive in the aftermath of the season-ending loss.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

It drifted around the periphery of his vision.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• brink
• fringe
• perimeter
• rim
• verge