per diem

1 of 3

adverb

: by the day : for each day

per diem

2 of 3

adjective

1
: based on use or service by the day : daily
2
: paid by the day

per diem

3 of 3

noun

plural per diems
1
: a daily allowance
2
: a daily fee

Examples of per diem in a Sentence

Adverb Employees will be given $20 per diem for expenses. Noun He received a $30 per diem for food.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
What is left though are wages, retirement, per diem and 401K. Why is the National Mediation Board involved? Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024 That session was punctuated by several long pauses, during which the per diem continued to be paid, drawing some complaints. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 17 Jan. 2024 Beshear's budget proposal included $172 million each year for universal pre-K. The new GOP budget proposal includes $15 million to fund 100 new social worker positions as well as $13 million to increase foster care per diem rates. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 16 Jan. 2024 For those who live outside of Maricopa County, the per diem covering meals and housing is $238. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 17 Jan. 2024 Baltimore City Schools will provide education to county youth held at the city detention center, according to the agreement, with Baltimore County Public Schools or the Baltimore County Detention Center reimbursing the school system for the per diem cost per student. Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2024 The Dodgers charter flights are particularly desirable because the crew members earn more money for the longer flights, premium accommodations and higher per diem compensation. Melissa Noel, Essence, 2 Nov. 2023 Providing for payment of expenses and per diem for the state House of Representatives and state Senate for the special session. Michael R. Wickline, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023 After the administration replaced the hospital’s long-standing anesthesiology professionals with per diem staff, errors began occurring, the physicians said, including a patient waking up during surgery. Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 1 Aug. 2023
Noun
In addition to the raises, the new Delta contract includes improvements in benefits like vacation accrual, per diem payments while traveling, scheduling and retirement contributions. Niraj Chokshi, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023 An estimated 35 of the state’s 92 per diem interpreters plan on participating, Howe said. Tonya Alanez, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Feb. 2023 Republicans and Democrats alike urged commissioners to rethink the idea of capping per diem. James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Jan. 2022 Mazzulla stretched out the salary by saving most of his per diem money. Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Oct. 2022 If your company sets a per diem for business trips, monitor your spending closely. Jacob Passy, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 Howe said 2023 per diem rates for certified interpreters should be more in the order of $500 or $530 for a full day. Tonya Alanez, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Feb. 2023 Legislative liaisons do not work for a salary and are instead paid a per diem every day the General Assembly is in session. Will Langhorne, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2023 On good days, offices like Weedn’s are able to bring in a per diem forensic pathologist to help ease the burden. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'per diem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Medieval Latin

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of per diem was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near per diem

Cite this Entry

“Per diem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20diem. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

per diem

adverb
per di·​em
(ˌ)pər-dē-əm,
-ˈdī-
: by the day : for each day
per diem adjective

Medical Definition

Perdiem

trademark
Per·​di·​em pər-ˈdē-ˌem, -əm How to pronounce Perdiem (audio)
used for a laxative preparation of psyllium seed husks and senna

Legal Definition

per diem

1 of 3 adverb
: by the day : for each day
paid per diem

per diem

2 of 3 adjective
1
: based on use or service by the day
per diem compensation
2
: paid or calculated by the day
per diem interest

per diem

3 of 3 noun
1
: a daily allowance
received a per diem for expenses
2
: a daily fee
paid a per diem for maintenance of the equipment
Etymology

Adverb

Latin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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