You use per to express rates and ratios. For example, if something costs £50 per year, you must pay £50 each year for it. If a vehicle is travelling at 40 miles per hour, it travels 40 miles each hour.
Social Security refused to pay her more than £17 per week.
Buses and trains use much less fuel per person than cars.
2. per head
3.
See as per
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsA preposition is one of a small but very common group of words that relate differentitems to each other. Most English prepositions have a number of meanings ... Read more
per in British English
(pɜː, unstressed pə)
determiner
1.
for every
three pence per pound
preposition
2.
(esp in some Latin phrases) by; through
3. as per
4. as per usual
Word origin
C15: from Latin: by, for each
PER in British English
abbreviation for(in Britain)
Professional Employment Register
per- in British English
prefix
1.
through
pervade
2.
throughout
perennial
3.
away, beyond
perfidy
4.
completely, throughly
perplex
5.
(intensifier)
perfervid
6.
indicating that a chemical compound contains a high proportion of a specified element
peroxide
perchloride
7.
indicating that a chemical element is in a higher than usual state of oxidation
permanganate
perchlorate
8. (not in technical usage) a variant of peroxy-
persulphuric acid
Word origin
from Latin per through
Per in American English
1.
Persia
2.
Persian
per in American English1
(pɜr)
preposition
1.
through; by; by means of
2.
a.
for each; for every
fifty cents per yard
b.
during each
used in indicating a rate of motion or activity
to cover 500 miles per day
3.
according to
used esp. in business
per your instructions
Word origin
L < IE base *per-, a going beyond > far, for1
per in American English2
1.
period
2.
person
per- in American English
(pɜr)
1.
through, throughout
perfoliate, peroral
2.
thoroughly, completely, very
perfervid
3. Chemistry
a.
containing a specified element or radical in its maximum, or a relatively high, valence
perchloric acid
b.
containing the maximum amount of the indicated element