# Per

/ˈpɝ/ (US) · /pˈɜː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/per
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. for each

preposition · CEFR A2

for every one of something, like a person or a day.

For teachers: for each; used to express a rate or ratio relative to a single unit.

- The hotel room costs one hundred dollars per night.
- The data suggests that the average caloric intake per person has increased significantly across the region over the last decade.

Usage: Commonly used in rates like 'miles per hour' or 'dollars per day'.

### 2. according to

preposition · CEFR B2 · Formal

in a way that follows a rule, a plan, or a set of instructions.

For teachers: in accordance with; following a specific standard, instruction, or previous agreement.

- We completed the project per your instructions.
- The shipment was processed per the terms of the original contract, ensuring no additional tariffs were applied.

Usage: Often appears in the phrase 'as per'.

### 3. by way of

preposition · CEFR C1 · Technical

through or by using a specific part of the body.

For teachers: by means of; through the medium of. Often used with Latin anatomical terms in clinical contexts.

- The doctor administered the medicine per rectum to ensure fast absorption.
- The patient was kept nil per os for twelve hours prior to the surgical procedure to prevent complications during anesthesia.

### 5. gender-neutral person

pronoun · CEFR C2 · Informal

a word used to talk about a person without saying if they are male or female.

For teachers: A neologistic gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun used as an alternative to 'he' or 'she'.

- Per is coming to the party later tonight.
- The author chose to use per as a consistent gender-neutral pronoun throughout the experimental novel.

Teaching tip: This is a rare neologism; most modern speakers use 'singular they' instead.

## Examples

- The apples cost two dollars per kilogram.
- The speed limit on this road is sixty kilometers per hour to ensure pedestrian safety.
- The study calculated the average caloric intake per person across several different demographics to determine if local food security had improved over the decade.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.