periphery

American  

[puh-rif-uh-ree] / pəˈrɪf ə ri /

noun

• peripheries
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• peripheries
  plural

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

See Examples For:

periphery peripheries

European car companies have increasingly been pushed to the periphery.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Most likely, the Dodgers’ deadline moves will be around the periphery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

A son to Jewish Moroccan immigrants, Eisenkot grew up in the working-class city of Eilat in Israel’s periphery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Ever since, the 1968 and 1974 African champions have been kept on the game's periphery by a combination of conflict, corruption, poor football governance and a lack of facilities.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

There are additional jars and bottles around the periphery of the room as well, with some on the ground and some on boxes and tall wooden bookshelves.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

The return of great-power rivalries, and the perennial challenge of disorder from peripheries beyond government control, has made that task a priority again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

During his 12 years as pontiff, Francis visited 68 countries on 47 foreign trips, often choosing destinations on the world's margins, which he described as the Church's "peripheries".

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025

He was a great pope, a really great pope of my era, especially the way he reached out to the peripheries, which reaffirmed the ministry I had of reaching outside of the church.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

The observatory may even find the hypothetical Planet Nine, a large world that some astronomers believe is hiding at the solar system’s peripheries.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 9, 2024

Then upon the ends y, and u, at the distances ou, and ys; let two peripheries meet in the point r.

From The Way To Geometry by William Bedwell

Related Words

• brink
• fringe
• perimeter
• rim
• verge