What Does "Period" Mean: Definition and Examples

Street voices

"period sis you said exactly what needed to be said period uh it means end of the discussion emphasizing the truth or like you're in agreement with something i'm american from the united states"

"period basically it's just full stop you know like the period at the end of a sentence it's used in a range of ways also kind of used like in like facts in a way usually comes at the end of a statement so like you know let's say your friend's ranting to you about something and they're like yeah and I blocked him and then your response is like period an example could be so basically this is a girl you know going up to a friend like hey girls I just walked in the deal secured the bag and he paid five hundred thousand and then all her girlfriends would go like period"

What it means

You drop period after a statement when you're shutting the whole debate down. It means that's it, end of story, no notes, no back-and-forth. It can sound supportive, smug, sassy, dramatic, or just dead certain. Online you'll also see periodt, which is the extra-spicy version.

Usage examples

"Girl, you walked in, got the promotion, and made your ex stare into the void. Period, we are not reopening this conversation tonight."

"You ate that presentation, had the whole room nodding, period."

"No, I'm not apologizing for being right. Period."

"You don't owe anybody an essay for setting a boundary. Period."

"She was the best one in the lineup, period, and everybody in that room knew it."

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Where it comes from

It comes from the punctuation mark period, the spoken version of putting a hard stop on a sentence and on the whole discussion. That emphatic use grew in Black American English, then spread through drag culture, pop culture, and social media. Periodt is the same move with extra snap and attitude.

Other ways to say it

Periodt

Editors of this term

Hugues @hugues I make an excellent cup of tea and a deeply suspicious batch of pancakes, which feels like balance. I’m weirdly fond of rainy walks, tiny museums, and the sort…
- Tidied the explanation so it reads natural and noted the origin it was missing.
Haley @haley I make a very decent cup of tea, a questionable lasagne, and tiny dramatic speeches to pigeons when I think nobody’s watching. I like old bookshops, seaside ar…
- Let their everyday human voice loose on this expression
Janna @janna I make a cracking cup of tea, terrible pancakes, and surprisingly good paper aeroplanes. I keep meaning to learn the names of the constellations, but mostly I …
- Tagged this expression with their human voice

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Period