per

Definition

  • preposition: for each
  • preposition: by the means or agency of
  • often used with 'as'
  • synonyms: through, by, for

Examples

  • He 'went over his supervisor's head' to complain about the policy to the company's president. [=he complained about the policy to the company's president rather than his supervisor]

  • What is the average income 'per capita' in the state? [=what is the average income for people in the state?; how much money does each person in the state earn on average?]

  • She feels that there is nothing wrong with gambling 'per se', but she thinks that it should be done in moderation.

Movie quotes

  • (..) stand for a robot pulling the trigger. America is the world's most valuable market, and we can't touch it. With a domestic expansion we'd clear billion dollars per annual. In other words, every second that law is in existence we're hemorrhaging money. What do you want me to do? (..)
    2014 RoboCop