period piece

noun

: a work (as of literature, art, furniture, cinema, or music) whose special value lies in its evocation of a historical period

Examples of period piece in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interest in Shogun has been limited in most of the rest of Asia, where the series didn’t attract such a big audience and where people have long been aware of Japanese period pieces. Gavin J Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024 The delightful elocution of their dry-as-martini witticisms (dialect coach Nancy Carlin) adds to the joys of this period piece. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 After a sweeping performance led by Shōgun at the Emmys, the network will close out 2024 with another epic period piece, Say Nothing. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024 Pope has served as cinematographer on each of Leigh’s films since, with collaborating across period pieces and contemporary working class dramas that have documented the evolution of Britain into its post-Brexit form. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for period piece 

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of period piece was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near period piece

Cite this Entry

“Period piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period%20piece. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!