peripheral

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/pəˈɹɪf(ə)ɹ(ə)l//pəˈɹɪfi.əl/

adjective

On the periphery or boundary.

Opposite
CommonScrabble 17

Meanings

adjectiveperipheral (comparative more peripheral, superlative most peripheral)

comparative more peripheral · superlative most peripheral

  1. On the periphery or boundary.
  2. anatomyRelated to or located in the peripheral nervous system.

    We have isolated the gene encoding the Schwann cell glycoprotein P0, the major structural protein of the peripheral myelin sheath.

    1988 March 1, “Isolation and analysis of the gene encoding peripheral myelin protein zero”, in Neuron, →DOI, page 73
nounperipheral (plural peripherals)

plural peripherals

  1. computingA peripheral device.

    Check your peripheral's manual for the information you'll need.

    1984, Human Connection, Making MS-DOS & PC-DOS work for you
    2 more examples

    Check your peripheral's owners' manual to see at what speed your peripheral transmits or receives information, and then record this on the DIP Switch Information chart in the column at the left.

    1986, Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

    Turn on the Mac, and check your peripheral. Since you've already installed your device driver, it should be available where you need it....

    1994, Steve Birchall, Upgrading and repairing Macs
  2. Peripheral vision.

    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.

    4 more examples

    We hailed a cab. The moment we got in, she stared at me with how-can-a-man-be-so-cruel eyes. I felt her glare, saw some of its fiery glow in my peripheral. The heat made me glance her way.

    2000, Eric Jerome Dicke, Milk in My Coffee

    Peripheral on the package Don't care to settle in Time to feed the monster I don't need another friend Comfort is a mystery Crawling out of my own skin Just give me what I came for Then I'm out the door again

    2003, “The Package”, in Maynard James Keenan (lyrics), Thirteenth Step (Hard Rock; Alternative Metal), performed by A Perfect Circle, United States: Virgin Records, →OCLC, Track 1

    He would hear the coach's admonition, "Always check your peripheral," after the ringing stopped in his ears. But before then, his eyes were fixed on the ball and a possible interception, not the receiver angling toward him.

    2003, Kim Louise, The Glory of Love

    As I sat by the window and read, I caught sight of the mailman in my peripheral.

    2013, Saye Z. B. Zonen, Finding My Frequency

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Opposite

adjectiverelated to the key issue but not of central importance

nounelectronic equipment external to the circuit board that contains the CPU of a computer

Similar
computer peripheralperipheral device
Broader
electronic equipment

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Ancient Greekπερί (perí)
  3. Ancient Greekπερῐ- (perĭ-)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
  6. Proto-Hellenic*pʰérō
  7. Ancient Greekφέρω (phérō)
  8. Ancient Greekπεριφέρω (periphérō)
  9. Ancient Greekπεριφερής (peripherḗs)
  10. Ancient Greekπεριφέρεια (periphéreia)
  11. Latinperipheria
  12. Middle Frenchperipherie
  13. Englishperipher(y)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  16. Englishperipheral

From peripher(y) + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian периферен, граничен
  • периферен (periferen)on the periphery or boundary
  • граничен (graničen)on the periphery or boundary
  • пределен (predelen)on the periphery or boundary
  • маловажен (malovažen)unimportant
  • второстепенен (vtorostepenen)unimportant
  • спомагателен (spomagatelen)auxiliary
Chinese Mandarin 边缘的, 周边的
  • 边缘的on the periphery or boundary
  • 周边的beside the point
  • 次要的 (cìyào de)unimportant
Dutch perifeer
  • perifeeron the periphery or boundary
Finnish ääri-, reuna-
  • ääri-on the periphery or boundary
  • reuna-on the periphery or boundary
  • toisarvoinenbeside the point
  • toisarvoinenunimportant
  • lisä-auxiliary
  • oheis-auxiliary
French périphérique, périphérique
  • périphériqueon the periphery or boundary
  • périphériqueunimportant
German umliegend, peripher
  • umliegendon the periphery or boundary
  • peripheron the periphery or boundary
Greek περιφερειακός, περιφερικός
  • περιφερειακός (perifereiakós)on the periphery or boundary
  • περιφερικός (periferikós)on the periphery or boundary
  • περιφερειακός (perifereiakós)beside the point
  • επουσιώδης (epousiódis)unimportant
  • περιφερειακός (perifereiakós)auxiliary
Hebrew היקפי
  • היקפיon the periphery or boundary
Hungarian periferiális, periferikus
  • periferiálison the periphery or boundary
  • periferikuson the periphery or boundary
  • periferiálisbeside the point
  • periferikusbeside the point
  • periferiálisunimportant
  • periferikusunimportant
Indonesian perifer
  • periferon the periphery or boundary
Italian periferico, secondario
  • perifericoon the periphery or boundary
  • secondariounimportant
  • ausiliarioauxiliary
Māori mōwaho
  • mōwahoon the periphery or boundary
Norwegian perifer, perifer
  • periferbeside the point
  • periferunimportant
  • periferauxiliary
Norwegian Bokmål perifer
  • periferon the periphery or boundary
Portuguese periférico, secundário
  • periféricoon the periphery or boundary
  • secundáriounimportant
Romanian periferic, secundar
  • perifericon the periphery or boundary
  • secundarunimportant
  • neimportantunimportant
  • auxiliarauxiliary
Russian перифери́йный, окружно́й
  • перифери́йный (periferíjnyj)on the periphery or boundary
  • окружно́й (okružnój)on the periphery or boundary
  • второстепе́нный (vtorostepénnyj)unimportant
  • подсо́бный (podsóbnyj)unimportant
  • вспомога́тельный (vspomogátelʹnyj)auxiliary
Scottish Gaelic iomallach
  • iomallachon the periphery or boundary
Spanish periférico, periférico
  • periféricoon the periphery or boundary
  • periféricobeside the point
  • periféricoauxiliary
Swedish perifer, yttre
  • periferon the periphery or boundary
  • yttreon the periphery or boundary
Cite this entry
APA

peripheral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peripheral

MLA

“peripheral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peripheral. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peripheral,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peripheral.

Source: peripheral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.