perfect

English

 Perfect (disambiguation) on Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• perfite, perfight (obsolete)
• pf. (abbreviation, grammar)
• poifect (humorous, pronunciation spelling)

Etymology 1

From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). Spelling modified 15c. to conform to Latin etymology. Doublet of parfait.

Displaced native Old English fulfremed.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː.fɪkt/, /ˈpɜː.fɛkt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɝ.fɪkt/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)fɪkt, -ɜː(ɹ)fɛkt
• Homophone: purrfect

Adjective

perfect (comparative perfecter or more perfect, superlative perfectest or most perfect)

1. Fitting its definition precisely.

   a perfect circle

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 is perfect for watering plants.

3. Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.

   The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.

   I think I'm in love—I can't stop thinking about her. She's perfect!

   • 1787, Gouverneur Morris, Preamble to the United States Constitution‎:

     We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, 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 a copy) Exact, correctly reflecting the original in all aspects.

      The expert forger made a perfect copy of the victim's driver's license

   2. (of an actor) Having thoroughly learned or memorized a part.
   3. (obsolete outside set of phrases, of a person) Having thoroughly learned or memorized a lesson; of a lesson: having been thoroughly learned or memorized.

      Practice makes perfect.

      word-perfect, letter-perfect

   4. (obsolete) Fully trained or very knowledgeable; highly skilled
      • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , lines 152–154:

        Our Battaile is more full of Names then yours, / Our Men more perfect in the vse of Armes, / Our Armor all as strong, our Cause the best

4. Excellent and delightful in all respects.

   a perfect day

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XXIV, page 41:

     And was the day of my delight
     ⁠As pure and perfect as I say?
     ⁠The very source and fount of Day
     Is dash’d with wandering isles of night.

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The 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 so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.

5. Morally or spiritually immaculate or ideal.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Psalms 37:37:

     Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace

6. (grammar, of a tense or verb form) Representing a completed action.
7. (biology) Sexually mature and fully differentiated.
8. (botany, of flowers) Having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).
9. (mathematics, of a number) Equal to the sum of its proper divisors.

   6 is perfect because the sum of its proper divisors, 1, 2, and 3, which is 6, is equal to the number itself.

10. (mathematical analysis, of a set) Equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set ${\displaystyle A}$ is perfect if ${\displaystyle A=A'}$.
11. (music) Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.

    Coordinate terms: augmented, diminished

    perfect fifth

12. (of a cocktail) Made with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.

    a perfect Manhattan

    a perfect Rob Roy

13. (obsolete) Well informed; certain; sure.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

      I am perfect that the Pannonians and Dalmatians for their liberties are now in arms.

14. (obsolete) Innocent, guiltless; without blemish.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

      My fault being nothing—as I have told you oft— / But that two villains, whose false oaths prevail'd / Before my perfect honour, swore to Cymbeline / I was confederate with the Romans: so / Follow'd my banishment

    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

      My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly.

15. (obsolete) Sane, of sound mind.
    • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

      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 my perfect mind.

Usage notes

• Some authorities proscribe the comparative and superlative forms "more perfect" and "most perfect", on the grounds that perfection is an absolute state. Nevertheless, graded forms have been in common use in writing for centuries – for instance the Preamble to the United States Constitution, drafted in 1787, describes its goal as "a more perfect Union". In these cases, "more perfect" can mean "closer to perfection", "less imperfect" or "improving upon an already perfect state".

Synonyms

• (fitting its definition precisely): accurate, flawless
• (without fault or mistake): faultless, infallible
• (thoroughly skilled or talented): expert, proficient
• (biology: sexually mature and fully differentiated): mature
• (botany: having both male and female parts): bisexual, hermaphroditic
• See also Thesaurus:flawless

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

Noun

perfect (plural perfects)

1. (grammar) The perfect 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, page 17:

     Awarded for scoring all Perfects in 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 of perfects).

3. (historical, Christianity) A leader of the Cathar movement.

   Synonym: perfectus

   Hyponym: perfecta

Synonyms

• (grammar): preterperfect

Translations

Etymology 2

From perfect (adjective).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pəˈfɛkt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pɚˈfɛkt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Verb

perfect (third-person singular simple present perfects, present participle perfecting, simple past and past participle perfected)

1. (transitive) To make perfect; to improve or hone.

   Synonyms: enhance, hone, improve, optimize

   I am going to perfect this article.

   You spend too much time trying to perfect your dancing.

2. (law) To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.

   perfect an appeal

   perfect an interest

   perfect a judgment

Related terms

• perfectation
• perfecter
• perfectible

Translations

References

Anagrams

• prefect

Chinese

Alternative forms

• perfect池 (poe1 fik4 ci4)

Etymology

From English perfect.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfect

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

References

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

Dutch

Alternative forms

• perfekt (superseded)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch perfect, from Latin perfectus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɛrˈfɛkt/, /pərˈfɛkt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: per‧fect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Adjective

perfect (comparative perfecter, superlative perfectst)

1. perfect

   Synonym: volmaakt

   Antonyms: imperfect, onvolmaakt, gebrekkig

Inflection

Related terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: perfek
• → Indonesian: pérfék

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin perfectus, German perfekt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

perfect m or n (feminine singular perfectă, masculine plural perfecți, feminine and neuter plural perfecte)

1. perfect, flawless

   Synonym: desăvârșit

   Antonyms: imperfect, nedesăvârșit

Declension

Adverb

perfect

1. perfectly, completely

Noun

perfect n (uncountable)

1. perfect tense

Derived terms

• perfect compus
• perfect simplu