1. per se - Adjective
2. per se - Adverb
with respect to its inherent nature
Source: WordNetWhen works of art are presented like rare butterflies on the walls, they're decontextualized. We admire their beauty, and I have nothing against that, per se. But there is more to art than that. Hans Haacke
Ignorance per se is not nearly as dangerous as ignorance of ignorance. Sydney J. Harris
I do not believe that science per se is an adequate source of happiness, nor do I think that my own scientific outlook has contributed very greatly to my own happiness, which I attribute to defecating twice a day with unfailing regularity. Bertrand Russell
It is not faith per se that creates the problem; it is conviction, the notion that one cannot be wrong, that opposing views are necessarily invalid and may even be intolerable. Jack McDevitt
Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se. Charles Eames
But, in fairness to them, too, the popular song per se is really a pretty shallow medium to perform in. Mel Torme