periphery
Americannoun
plural
peripheries-
the external boundary of any surface or area.
- Synonyms:
- perimeter, circumference
- Antonyms:
- center
-
the external surface of a body.
- Antonyms:
- center
-
the edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area.
-
the relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question.
The preliminary research did not, of course, take me beyond the periphery of my problem.
-
Anatomy. the area in which nerves end.
noun
-
the outermost boundary of an area
-
the outside surface of something
-
anatomy the surface or outermost part of the body or one of its organs or parts
Etymology
Origin of periphery
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Late Latin peripherīa, from Greek periphéreia “circumference,” literally, “a bearing round,” from peri- peri- + phér(ein) “to bear” + -eia -y 3; replacing Middle English periferie, from Medieval Latin periferīa, variant spelling of Late Latin peripherīa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Gulf monarchies have worked hard to stay on the periphery of Middle East conflict, relying on their stability to attract business, trade and tourism.
From Barron's
The power of Boys' Love and Heated Rivalry lies in their ability to show what love could - and does - look like for those who live on the periphery.
From BBC
Indeed, parental figures were very much on the periphery.
From BBC
“You don’t have to be in the crosshairs of this particular AI risk. You can be in the periphery.”
Photos taken of al-Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar- the largest American facility in the Middle East - on Sunday show a number of new structures appearing at a site on the periphery of the base.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
