prep
per
pur
prep
1
For each; used to express a rate or ratio between two quantities.
"The car does about forty miles per gallon."
"Tickets are priced at ten pounds per person."
2
In accordance with; as stated by.
"Per your instructions, I have cancelled the meeting."
"The refund was issued per company policy."
pron
1
A gender-neutral singular pronoun (they/them) used by some speakers instead of he or she.
"Per said per would rather not attend."
How to Use Per
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small connector word meaning "for each" (as in "per hour") or "according to" (as in "per your email").
Common mistake
In formal writing, "as per" is often criticised as redundant — "per your email" or "as you requested" are both cleaner than "as per your email".
Common pairings
per hour
per person
as per usual
per your request
Word Forms
pers adjective, pers noun form
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The car does about forty miles _____ gallon.
Etymology
From Latin per, meaning "through" or "by means of" — the same root that gives us "percent" (per + centum, "by the hundred").