per se

When considered by itself, without including other things that may affect it.

• Money is not bad per se.
• The plan itself was not the problem per se.
• Is competition per se harmful to children?

Similar words: in itself, intrinsically

Common phrases: wrong per se, harmful per se, per se illegal

Under a legal rule that applies without allowing other facts to change the result.

• The statute treats that agreement as unlawful per se.
• Under this rule, the conduct is negligent per se.
• The court asked whether the practice was prohibited per se.

Similar words: as a matter of law

Common phrases: illegal per se, negligent per se

Through its own nature and power, rather than through something outside itself.

• The philosopher asks whether a being can exist per se.
• Here, the self determines itself per se.
• The argument treats the first cause as acting per se.

Similar words: through itself

Common phrases: exist per se, act per se

Set directly by a legal rule, without allowing other facts to change the result.

• The court applied a per se rule.
• The statute creates a per se violation for this conduct.
• Their argument depended on a per se prohibition.

Common phrases: per se violation, per se negligence, per se rule

Existing through its own nature and determining itself without an outside cause.

• The theory describes a per se being.
• A per se entity would determine its own existence.
• They debated whether the self was a per se principle.

Similar words: self-determining, self-grounding

Common phrases: a per se being, a per se entity