Per Our Conversation | Meaning & Alternatives

You might see the phrase per our conversation in an email, letter, or note, and you might not know exactly what it means. You might also see the variation “as per our conversation,” which has the same meaning.

“Per” is a preposition, and here it means “according to” (e.g., “according to our conversation last week”), but it can also mean “as we agreed” or “just to clarify.” In American English, it is commonly used in newspapers to mean “according to” (e.g., “per a source familiar with the meeting”).

Per our conversation can be a useful way to remind someone about or clarify an agreement. It is worth bearing in mind that the phrase is quite formal and will look out of place in more informal settings.

It is useful to have a range of different ways of communicating the meaning of per our conversation in situations where that exact phrase would be out of place. Below are some suggestions for you to use.

According to

In many cases “according to” can take the place of per our conversation. It sounds less formal but is still suitable for emails and letters. It is a handy way to summarize what was agreed on.

As discussed

Sometimes per is used to provide a reminder of what was agreed on. A good alternative in these circumstances is to use as discussed. It can have the effect of giving a gentle nudge to the person you are writing to.

To clarify

It is not unusual after a meeting or conversation for people to have different recollections of what was discussed or agreed on. When you become aware of this, you might want to send a clarification. In this case, you can use to clarify.

Following

Similar to to clarify, you can use following our conversation to make sure your correspondent has the same understanding as you of what was agreed on. It can be used to signal that you are acting on decisions that were made.

As agreed

Sometimes a colleague might need a reminder that they are meant to do something, but per our conversation can seem a little formal or critical. As agreed can serve as a reminder in a formal but gentle manner.

Frequently asked question about per our conversation

What does per mean?

Per is a preposition that has several meanings. Probably its most common use is almost invisible—in the abbreviation “mph (miles per hour),” where it means “each.”

It’s commonly used in newspaper reporting to mean “according to” (e.g., “The President has been kept informed, per sources close to the Oval Office”).

Per is often found in the phrase per our conversation in emails and letters (e.g., “Per our conversation yesterday, could you let me have the new draft proposal by Friday, please?”).

Per can also refer to how often something happens (e.g., “Take one tablet once per day”), or it can have the meaning of “every” (e.g., there are more cafes per square mile than in any other city”).

Per is also commonly used in the phrase per se to mean “intrinsically” or “by itself” (e.g., “The film isn’t bad per se, but it can’t compare to the book”).

What does as per mean?

As per is most commonly seen in phrases such as “As per our conversation yesterday, could you send me the new brief?”

It is sometimes seen as overly formal or officious. There are other ways of expressing the same idea (e.g., “According to the meeting minutes, we are due to finish on Wednesday”).

There are other options too (e.g., “to clarify” if you want to overcome confusion or “as discussed” to recap or summarize the agreement).

Try our sentence rephraser to vary your writing and express your intended meaning.