Standard Lemma guide

peripheral

adj · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pəˈɹɪf(ə)ɹ(ə)l/
  • /pəˈɹɪfi.əl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER0 IH1 F ER0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P ER0 IH1 F R AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

On the periphery or boundary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Beside the point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Unimportant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Auxiliary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Related to or located in the peripheral nervous system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A peripheral device.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Peripheral vision.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2014, Bill Ladson, "Zimmerman handles left field with ease -- and no E's" on MLB.com I was kind of looking at the ball, keeping him in my peripheral and all of sudden I see him closing in on the ball.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Russia's peripheral provinces
  • peripheral suburbs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: central

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

related to the key issue but not of central importance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a peripheral interest
  • energy is far from a peripheral issue in the economy
  • peripheral issues

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

(computer science) electronic equipment connected by cable to the CPU of a computer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • disk drives and printers are important peripherals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: computer peripheral, peripheral device

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: electronic equipment

Narrower terms: data input device, input device, output device, printer

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Ancient Greek περί (perí) Ancient Greek περῐ- (perĭ-) Proto-Indo-European *bher- Proto-Indo-European *bhéreti Proto-Hellenic *phérō Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) Ancient Greek περιφέρω (periphérō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek περιφερής (peripherḗs) Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-ih2der. Ancient Greek -ια (-ia) Ancient Greek περιφέρεια (periphéreia)bor. Latin peripheriabor. Middle French peripheriebor. English peripher(y) Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English peripheral From peripher(y) + -al.

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: периферен (periferen) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Bulgarian: граничен (graničen) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Bulgarian: пределен (predelen) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 边缘的 — on the periphery or boundary
  • Dutch: perifeer — on the periphery or boundary
  • Finnish: ääri- — on the periphery or boundary
  • Finnish: reuna- — on the periphery or boundary
  • French: périphérique — on the periphery or boundary
  • Galician: periférico — on the periphery or boundary
  • Georgian: პერიფერიული (ṗeriperiuli) — on the periphery or boundary
  • German: umliegend — on the periphery or boundary
  • German: peripher — on the periphery or boundary
  • Greek: περιφερειακός (perifereiakós) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Greek: περιφερικός (periferikós) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Hebrew: היקפי — on the periphery or boundary
  • Hungarian: periferiális — on the periphery or boundary
  • Hungarian: periferikus — on the periphery or boundary
  • Indonesian: perifer — on the periphery or boundary
  • Italian: periferico — on the periphery or boundary
  • Māori: mōwaho — on the periphery or boundary
  • Norwegian Bokmål: perifer — on the periphery or boundary
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: perifer — on the periphery or boundary
  • Portuguese: periférico — on the periphery or boundary
  • Romanian: periferic — on the periphery or boundary
  • Russian: перифери́йный (periferíjnyj) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Russian: окружно́й (okružnój) — on the periphery or boundary
  • Scottish Gaelic: iomallach — on the periphery or boundary
  • Spanish: periférico — on the periphery or boundary
  • Swedish: perifer — on the periphery or boundary
  • Swedish: yttre — on the periphery or boundary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 周边的 — beside the point
  • Finnish: toisarvoinen — beside the point
  • Georgian: დამატებითი (damaṭebiti) — beside the point
  • Greek: περιφερειακός (perifereiakós) — beside the point
  • Hungarian: periferiális — beside the point
  • Hungarian: periferikus — beside the point
  • Norwegian: perifer — beside the point
  • Spanish: periférico — beside the point
  • Bulgarian: маловажен (malovažen) — unimportant
  • Bulgarian: второстепенен (vtorostepenen) — unimportant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 次要的 (cìyào de) — unimportant
  • Finnish: toisarvoinen — unimportant
  • French: périphérique — unimportant
  • Georgian: მეორეხარისხოვანი (meorexarisxovani) — unimportant
  • Greek: επουσιώδης (epousiódis) — unimportant
  • Hungarian: periferiális — unimportant
  • Hungarian: periferikus — unimportant
  • Italian: secondario — unimportant
  • Norwegian: perifer — unimportant
  • Portuguese: secundário — unimportant
  • Romanian: secundar — unimportant
  • Romanian: neimportant — unimportant
  • Russian: второстепе́нный (vtorostepénnyj) — unimportant
  • Russian: подсо́бный (podsóbnyj) — unimportant
  • Bulgarian: спомагателен (spomagatelen) — auxiliary
  • Finnish: lisä- — auxiliary
  • Finnish: oheis- — auxiliary
  • Georgian: დამხმარე (damxmare) — auxiliary
  • Greek: περιφερειακός (perifereiakós) — auxiliary
  • Italian: ausiliario — auxiliary
  • Norwegian: perifer — auxiliary
  • Romanian: auxiliar — auxiliary
  • Russian: вспомога́тельный (vspomogátelʹnyj) — auxiliary
  • Spanish: periférico — auxiliary
Real reading context

peripheral in complete knowledge articles