Gore Vidal
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Is It Grammatically Correct to Say as per?
Many wonder whether the as in as per is superfluous. Wouldn’t the phrase “per your instructions” mean much the same thing as “as per your instructions?” In that case, would it be incorrect to insert the extra word?
The fact is that both per and as per have existed in English in the sense “according to” for a very long time–since the 15th and 16th centuries, respectively. The choice of which to use (or avoid) is entirely a matter of taste. The more ponderous as per is often found in business and legal prose, or in writing that attempts to adopt a formal tone. It is not incorrect to use, but some find it overly legalistic and counsel avoiding it for that reason. On the other hand, it has been used to good effect in facetious mock-business-English (“as per the President’s shiny new Environmental Policy Act”). As in so many matters of diction, the tonal needs of a particular passage should guide your choice.
Examples of as per in a Sentence
Viren Naidu, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
Actor Jonathan Majors, who was to play Kang, was removed from the movie after a conviction for reckless assault in the third degree and harassment in 2023, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 21 Mar. 2025
After a last-minute meeting with city, district and teachers union stakeholders, including the mayor, on Wednesday, Davis Gates was firm that a final contract proposal would need to be reached before the budget amendment vote, as per protocol.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
The latter series, executive produced and directed by Ben Stiller, grew the streaming service by 2 million subscribers in February, as per research and measurement firm Antenna.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for as per
Cite this Entry
“As per.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20per. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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