perfect
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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, perfecto, and perfectus.
Displaced native Old English fulfremed.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɜːfɪkt/, /-fɛkt/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpɝfɪkt/
Audio (General American): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)fɪkt, -ɜː(ɹ)fɛkt
- Homophone: purrfect
- Hyphenation: per‧fect
Adjective
perfect (comparative perfecter or more perfect, superlative perfectest or most perfect)
- Fitting its definition precisely.
- a perfect circle
- 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.
- 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.
- (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
- (of an actor) Having thoroughly learned or memorized a part.
- (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.
- (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], 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
- 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.
- 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
- (grammar, of a tense or verb form) Representing a completed action.
- (biology) Sexually mature and fully differentiated.
- (botany, of flowers) Having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).
- (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.
- (mathematical analysis, of a set) Equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set is perfect if .
- (music) Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.
- Coordinate terms: augmented, diminished
- (of a cocktail) Made with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
- a perfect Manhattan
- a perfect Rob Roy
- (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
- I am perfect that the Pannonians and Dalmatians for their liberties are now in arms.
- (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
- 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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly.
- (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →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 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.[1][2][3] 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
Hyponyms
Derived terms
- all-perfect
- conditional perfect
- frame-perfect
- frame perfect
- future perfect continuous
- future perfect progressive
- heptaperfect
- imperfect
- inch-perfect
- letter-perfect
- letter perfect
- let the perfect be the enemy of the good
- make the perfect the enemy of the good
- most-perfect magic square
- nobody's perfect
- note-perfect
- past perfect continuous
- past perfect progressive
- perfect all-kill
- perfect auxiliary
- perfect binding
- perfect-bound
- perfect cadence
- perfect chord
- perfect competition
- perfect crime
- perfect cube
- perfect field
- perfect fifth
- perfect fourth
- perfect game
- perfect gold standard test
- perfect infinitive
- perfect interval
- perfection
- perfectionist
- perfect is the enemy of good
- perfect is the enemy of good enough
- perfective
- perfect market
- perfect metal
- perfect number
- perfect octave
- perfect participle
- perfect passive participle
- perfect pitch
- perfect power
- perfect price discrimination
- perfect rhyme
- perfect set
- perfect square
- perfect storm
- perfect stranger
- perfect system
- perfect time
- perfect triad
- perfect twelfth
- perfect unison
- perfect victim
- picture perfect
- picture-perfect
- pitch perfect
- pitch-perfect
- pixel-perfect
- practice makes perfect
- present perfect continuous
- present perfect progressive
- purrfect
- rough perfect
- self-perfect
- s-perfect
- the perfect is the enemy of the good
- v-perfect
- word-perfect
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
botany: having both male and female parts
|
music: interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
perfect (plural perfects)
- (grammar) The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
- (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).
- (historical, Christianity) A leader of the Cathar movement.
Synonyms
- (grammar): preterperfect
Translations
Etymology 2
From perfect (adjective).
Pronunciation
Verb
perfect (third-person singular simple present perfects, present participle perfecting, simple past and past participle perfected)
- (transitive) To make perfect; to improve or hone.
- (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
Translations
make perfect
|
References
- 1843, Roswell Chamberlain Smith, Smith's New Grammar, page 144
Anagrams
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