periphery

C2+ Topic:Places & Geography

US /pəˈrɪfəri/ UK /pəˈrɪfəri/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the outer edge or boundary of an area or group

New housing sprang up on the periphery of town.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the outer edge or boundary... edge perimeter fringe boundary margin outskirts circumference

Opposites

center core middle hub

Word family

Derived forms peripheral

Related forms peripheral

Etymology

From Late Latin peripheria, from Greek periphereia ('circumference'), from peripheres ('rounded'), from peri- ('around') + pherein ('to carry, bear').

periphereia Ancient Greek peri Ancient Greek pherein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Places & Geography Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# periphery

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pəˈrɪfəri/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈrɪfəri/

## Meanings
1. the outer edge or boundary of an area or group

## Examples
- New housing sprang up on the periphery of town.

## Synonyms
- edge
- perimeter
- fringe
- boundary
- margin
- outskirts
- circumference

## Antonyms
- center
- core
- middle
- hub

## Derived Forms
- peripheral

## Related Forms
- peripheral

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: periphereia
- Root: peri
- Root: pherein
- Affix: peri- - around

## Etymology
From Late Latin peripheria, from Greek periphereia ('circumference'), from peripheres ('rounded'), from peri- ('around') + pherein ('to carry, bear').

## AI Etymology
Periphery comes from Late Latin peripheria, from Greek periphereia ('circumference'), from peripheres ('rounded'), from peri- ('around') + pherein ('to carry, bear'). The etymological trail includes Ancient Greek periphereia, Ancient Greek peri, and Ancient Greek pherein. As a noun, periphery means the outer edge or boundary of an area or group. The same family is visible in derived forms such as peripheral and related forms such as peripheral. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Places & Geography
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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