preposition

per

For each or according to.

The parking garage charges five dollars per hour on weekdays.

Etymology

Latin per means through or by. Its distributive use means by each unit, while other uses retain the sense of according to a stated rule or source.

More examples

  • Admission costs ten dollars per person.
  • Per your instructions, I left the key under the mat.
  • Take one tablet per day with food.

Similar words

each
Emphasizes individual units, but does not mean 'according to.'
according to
Introduces a source or instruction, not a numerical rate.