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.
Recognizing that geography still matters, they extended their defensive periphery seaward, initially to the first island chain, from Japan to the South China Sea, and then to the second chain and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
It signalled greater access to "the largest trading nation on Earth" for North Korea, Lim told AFP, while it was also important for China's "periphery diplomacy".
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Indeed, parental figures were very much on the periphery.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Despite being on the periphery of the Spanish empire and Mexico before becoming part of the United States, California had an important place in the larger struggle by enslaved people for their freedom.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026
This time, she walked around the west-facing periphery of the clearing so she wouldn’t have to pass by Nana.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.