Gore Vidal
Did you know?
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
Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
The deputy who fired the gun hasn't yet been identified but has been placed on administrative leave as per procedure.
—Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
The family all wore Valentino, with Apple's dress taking 750 hours to make, as per Vogue.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Mariah Carey has overtaken Tom Grennan in the race for the U.K.’s Christmas No. 1 Single, as per a new report from the Official Charts Company published Tuesday (Dec. 17).
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for as per 
Dictionary Entries Near as per
Cite this Entry
“As per.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20per. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share