perfect

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English

This can be perceived by the human eye as a perfect circle (i.e. completely round, without imperfections) and perfectly black (i.e. without reflecting any light).

Alternative forms

Etymology 1

FromMiddle Englishperfit,fromOld Frenchparfit(modern:parfait), fromLatinperfectus,perfect passive participle ofperficere(“to finish”),fromper-(“through, thorough”)+facere(“to do, to make”).Spelling modified 15c. to conform to Latin etymology.Doubletofparfait.

Displaced nativeOld Englishfulfremed.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfect(comparativeperfecterormoreperfect,superlativeperfectestormostperfect)

  1. Fitting its definitionprecisely.
    aperfectcircle
  2. Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.
    That bucket with the hole in the bottom is a poor bucket, but it isperfectfor watering plants.
  3. Withoutfaultormistake;withoutflaw,ofsupremequality.
    The gymnast performed aperfectsomersault.
    I think I'm in love—I can't stop thinking about her. She'sperfect!
    • 1787,Gouverneur Morris,Preamble to the United States Constitution‎[1]:
      We the People of the United States, in Order to form a moreperfectUnion, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
    1. (of acopy)Exact,correctly reflecting the original in all aspects.
      The expert forger made aperfectcopy of the victim's driver's license
    2. (of anactor)Having thoroughly learned or memorized apart.
    3. (obsoleteoutside set of phrases,of a person)Having thoroughly learned or memorized alesson;of a lesson:having been thoroughly learned or memorized.
      Practice makesperfect.
      word-perfect,letter-perfect
    4. (obsolete)Fullytrainedor veryknowledgeable;highlyskilled
  4. Excellent and delightful in all respects.
    aperfectday
    • 1850,[Alfred, Lord Tennyson],In Memoriam,London:Edward Moxon,[…],→OCLC,Canto XXIV,page41:
      And was the day of my delight
      ⁠As pure andperfectas I say?
      ⁠The very source and fount of Day
      Is dash’d with wandering isles of night.
    • 1879,R[ichard] J[efferies],chapter 1, inThe Amateur Poacher,London:Smith, Elder, & Co.,[…],→OCLC:
      They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been soperfect.And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
  5. Morally or spirituallyimmaculateorideal.
  6. (grammar,of a tense or verb form)Representing a completed action.
  7. (biology)Sexually mature and fully differentiated.
  8. (botany,offlowers)Having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).
  9. (mathematics,of a number)Equal to thesumof itsproperdivisors.
    6 isperfectbecause the sum of its proper divisors, 1, 2, and 3, which is 6, is equal to the number itself.
  10. (mathematical analysis,of aset)Equal to its set of limit points, i.e. setis perfect if.
  11. (music)Describing anintervalor anycompound intervalof aunison,octave,orfourthsandfifthsthat are nottritones.
    Coordinate terms:augmented,diminished
    perfectfifth
  12. (of acocktail)Made with equal parts ofsweetanddryvermouth.
    aperfectManhattan
    aperfectRob Roy
  13. (obsolete)Well informed;certain;sure.
  14. (obsolete)Innocent,guiltless;withoutblemish.
  15. (obsolete)Sane,of sound mind.
    • c.1603–1606,William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene vii]:
      Pray, do not mock me. / I am a very foolish fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less / And, to deal plainly, / I fear I am not in myperfectmind.
Usage notes
  • Some authorities proscribe the comparative and superlative forms "more perfect"and"most perfect",on the grounds thatperfectionis an absolute state.[1][2][3]Nevertheless, graded forms have been in common use in writing for centuries – for instance thePreamble to the United States Constitution,drafted in 1787, describes its goal as "a moreperfectUnion ". In these cases," more perfect "can mean" closer to perfection "," lessimperfect"or" improving upon an already perfect state ".
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • (antonym(s) of“fitting its definition precisely”):flawed
  • (antonym(s) of“without fault or mistake”):faulty,faultful,fallible
  • (antonym(s) of“botany: having both male and female parts”):imperfect
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

perfect(pluralperfects)

  1. (grammar)Theperfect tense,or a form in that tense.
  2. (video games)A perfect score; the achievement of finishing a stage or task with no mistakes.
    • 2007,Barbara Smith, Chad Yancey,Video Game Achievements and Unlockables,page17:
      Awarded for scoring allPerfectsin the Dominator rank!
    • 2007,Eli Neiburger,Gamers-- in the Library?!:
      […]a table of all the ratings that each player has achieved, giving you several scoring options based on player feedback (I simply record the number ofperfects).
  3. (historical,Christianity)Aleaderof theCatharmovement.
    Synonym:perfectus
    Hyponym:perfecta
Synonyms
Translations

Etymology 2

Fromperfect(adjective).

Pronunciation

Verb

perfect(third-person singular simple presentperfects,present participleperfecting,simple past and past participleperfected)

  1. (transitive)To make perfect; toimproveorhone.
    Synonyms:enhance,hone,improve,optimize
    I am going toperfectthis article.
    You spend too much time trying toperfectyour dancing.
  2. (law)To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.
    perfectan appeal
    perfectan interest
    perfecta judgment
Translations

References

  1. ^2004,Ann Batko, Edward Rosenheim,When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People: How to Avoid Common Errors in English,Career Press→ISBN,page 136
  2. ^1843,Roswell Chamberlain Smith,Smith's New Grammar,page 144
  3. ^2015,Stephen Spector,May I Quote You on That?: A Guide to Grammar and Usage,Oxford University Press→ISBN,page 161

Anagrams

Chinese

Alternative forms

Etymology

FromEnglishperfect.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfect

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese)perfect;excellent;flawless

References

Dutch

Alternative forms

Etymology

FromMiddle Dutchperfect,fromLatinperfectus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):/pɛrˈfɛkt/,/pərˈfɛkt/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation:per‧fect
  • Rhymes:-ɛkt

Adjective

perfect(comparativeperfecter,superlativeperfectst)

  1. perfect
    Synonym:volmaakt
    Antonyms:imperfect,onvolmaakt,gebrekkig

Declension

Declension ofperfect
uninflected perfect
inflected perfecte
comparative perfecter
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial perfect perfecter hetperfectst
hetperfectste
indefinite m./f.sing. perfecte perfectere perfectste
n.sing. perfect perfecter perfectste
plural perfecte perfectere perfectste
definite perfecte perfectere perfectste
partitive perfects perfecters —

Descendants

  • Afrikaans:perfek
  • →Indonesian:pérfék

Romanian

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinperfectus,Germanperfekt.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfectmorn(feminine singularperfectă,masculine pluralperfecți,feminine and neuter pluralperfecte)

  1. perfect,flawless
    Synonym:desăvârșit
    Antonyms:imperfect,nedesăvârșit

Declension

Declension ofperfect
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative/
accusative 		indefinite perfect perfectă perfecți perfecte
definite perfectul perfecta perfecții perfectele
genitive/
dative 		indefinite perfect perfecte perfecți perfecte
definite perfectului perfectei perfecților perfectilor

Adverb

perfect

  1. perfectly,completely

Noun

perfectn(uncountable)

  1. perfect tense

Derived terms

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