as per

preposition

ˈaz-ˌpər 

: in accordance with : according to

as per your instructions

Phrases

as per usual

: in the accustomed or habitual way : as usual

As per usual I tried to see into Myra's mind and as per usual I got nowhere at all.

—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

Recent Examples on the Web

Pearl and Associates, the law firm run by Nicole Pearl, Doug Cox’s business partner and girlfriend, holds the buyer’s deposit as per an escrow agreement with Cox. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025

As things stand, only 23 of NATO’s 32 members have reached the 2% target, as per NATO estimates for defense spending in 2024. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025

More recently, the athlete couple were seen enjoying dinner in Beverly Hills on Jan. 15, as per photos obtained and shared by TMZ. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 20 Feb. 2025

But those states are at risk of losing federal funding, as per the policy of Trump's order. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above