perfect - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

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

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

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[1]:
      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.
    4. (obsolete) Fully trained or very knowledgeable; highly skilled
  4. Excellent and delightful in all respects.
    a perfect day
    • 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.
  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 A {\displaystyle A} {\displaystyle A} is perfect if A = A ′ {\displaystyle A=A'} {\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
  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.
  1. (obsolete) Innocent, guiltless; without blemish.
  1. (obsolete) Sane, of sound mind.
Usage notes
Synonyms
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations

fitting its definition precisely

having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose

without fault or mistake

thoroughly skilled or talented

excellent and delightful in all respects

grammar: of a tense or verb form: representing a completed action

biology: sexually mature and fully differentiated

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
Translations

Etymology 2

From perfect (adjective).

Pronunciation

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
Translations

make perfect

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

From English perfect.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfect

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

References

Dutch

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle Dutch perfect, from Latin perfectus.

Pronunciation

Adjective

perfect (comparative perfecter, superlative perfectst)

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

Declension

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

Descendants

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin perfectus, German perfekt.

Pronunciation

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