How to Use per se in a Sentence

per se

1 of 2 adverb
  • This isn’t an argument against your plan, per se.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
  • But while opera may not be Bey’s wheelhouse, per se, she would not be lost at sea.
    — Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
  • There's no actual recipe for peanuts and candy corn fall mix, per se.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023
  • Bobbing heads, jumping and waving glow sticks, the crowd didn’t get hyped up, per se.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024
  • Tom’s songs, his lyrics tended to be about … not about rich people or poor people, per se.
    — Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • The bill does not stipulate any penalties for eating dog meat per se.
    — Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2024
  • There’s no banking system anymore, per se.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • As coding per se begins to matter less, maybe softer skills will shine.
    — James Somers, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
  • But that doesn't mean that older vehicles are not, per se, secure.
    — Michael Harley, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
  • Though they’ve long been beloved by the pre-teen set, Smash Mouth isn’t a kiddie band, per se.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Not their singing voice per se—that would have just been a bonus—but what I was honed in on was their speaking voice.
    — Angela Hatem, Parents, 9 June 2026
  • Riot views esports as part of the game business, rather than as a sports enterprise per se.
    — Sarah Parvini, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
  • While this entry isn’t a coverlet per se, linen lovers may want to add this option to their shortlist.
    — Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2024
  • And while the Emery isn’t reversible per se, the comforter is solid on the reverse side.
    — Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Our experts say there is no single perfect breakfast plate for everyone, per se.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
  • We were never influenced by sounds per se, or direction, or anything like that.
    — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2023
  • Of course, this conviction wouldn’t be for insurrection, per se.
    — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2023
  • Putin’s speech focused not on Ukraine per se but on the broader confrontation with the West.
    — Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2023
  • While the Morgan family didn’t live here, per se, the family’s staff did.
    — Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2023
  • Read full article The fifth installment in the Indy saga is not a bad movie per se.
    — Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2023
  • Oberoi doesn’t brand itself as eco-luxury per se, but the harmony with nature feels real here.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • The decision to hold their nuptials abroad, then, was not about reconnecting with heritage, per se.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2024
  • The study was about canine grieving and conducted in Italy, not about Italian dogs, per se.
    — Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
  • The images were not art, per se, but exercises in framing, and how framing does or does not clarify truth.
    — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023
  • Not a gallery per se, but a treasure trove of original, mostly local and all contemporary art.
    — Jessica Swannie, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
  • That's not to say maintaining such a lifestyle is easy per se; Stewart takes it seriously.
    — Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2024
  • And while the fat itself isn't actually hard per se, the tissues that make up your abdomen are, which is why your beer belly feels rigid to the touch.
    — Sarah Fielding, Men's Health, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Troye Sivan would like to set the record straight — well, not straight per se — about some rumors that have pervaded the internet for the last few years.
    — Stephen Daw, Billboard, 28 July 2023
  • While not censorship per se, licensing of broadcasters is a form of prior restraint.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
  • But this is the first time of really having this big leadership role, per se, trying to keep everyone on the team together.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2023

per se

2 of 2 adjective
  • This is not the right focus, per se.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • That framing is not new or unique, per se.
    — Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Well, not back to life, per se, but will be back on the show.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • These scenes aren’t funny, per se.
    — Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
  • But large sums, per se, don’t bother me.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
  • This is not a diva album, per se.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Robertson isn’t bad in the playoffs, per se.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
  • That’s not bad per se, except that placebos tend to wear off with time.
    — Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Making people cry is not Zhao’s goal, per se.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The ads aren’t Senate campaign ads per se.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2026
  • But the entity is not a cartel per se.
    — Regina Garcia Cano The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 25 Dec. 2025
  • But the next one probably won’t be caused by tariffs per se.
    — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • There will be larger, shareable plates, but no entrees per se.
    — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 July 2022
  • But this isn’t an estate-planning story per se.
    — Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Not trying to have a sound per se, just getting in a room and have fun and make music.
    — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 2 July 2021
  • So The Beast doesn't need to run a transmission per se.
    — Loz Blain january 15, New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The problem, though, wasn’t the performance per se.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
  • Perhaps the blocks will work and inversions per se won’t make a comeback.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 30 Apr. 2021
  • Their focus is not the football, per se, but how subtle changes in a kick affect it.
    — Wil S. Hylton, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2022
  • Mullen didn’t miss a basketball game because of the injury, per se.
    — Michael Osipoff, chicagotribune.com, 23 Mar. 2022
  • And yet, the showrunner wouldn't say the final season has a villain, per se.
    — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2022
  • With all that said, the Panthers aren’t playing poorly, per se.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
  • That's not a tax increase per se, but an attempt to model the full effect of the tax changes.
    — CBS News, 1 Mar. 2022
  • The Fresh researchers were quick to add that this serum is not an anti-aging serum, per se.
    — Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 3 Aug. 2022
  • The lottery is not an opponent per se, but its concerns will have to be addressed.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 16 June 2021
  • Some might try to argue that the self-driving car is not threatening anyone per se.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 June 2021
  • There was never a plan to work together per se, Benny says.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Neither kind of bristle is better per se, but each type of bristle serves its own purpose.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
  • The formal living room was not really for living in, per se.
    — Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
  • Was making the film feel more like a drama with action, than an action movie per se, by design?
    — Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'per se.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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