per·fect
(pûr′fĭkt) adj. 1. Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind.
2. Being without defect or blemish: a perfect specimen.
3. Thoroughly skilled or talented in a certain field or area; proficient.
4. Completely suited for a particular purpose or situation: She was the perfect actress for the part.
5. a. Completely corresponding to a description, standard, or type: a perfect circle; a perfect gentleman.
b. Accurately reproducing an original: a perfect copy of the painting.
6. Complete; thorough; utter: a perfect fool.
7. Pure; undiluted; unmixed: perfect red.
8. Excellent and delightful in all respects: a perfect day.
9. Botany Having both stamens and pistils in the same flower; monoclinous.
10. Capable of sexual reproduction. Used of fungi.
11. Grammar Of, relating to, or constituting a verb form expressing action completed prior to a fixed point of reference in time.
12. Music Designating the three basic intervals of the octave, fourth, and fifth.
n. 1. Grammar The aspect of a verb that expresses action completed prior to a fixed point of reference in time.
2. A verb or verb form having this aspect.
tr.v. (pər-fĕkt′)
per·fect·ed, per·fect·ing, per·fects To bring to perfection or completion: perfected the technique to isolate the virus.
[Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit, from Latin perfectus, past participle of perficere, to finish : per-, per- + facere, to do; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
per·fect′er n.
per′fect·ness n.
Synonyms: perfect, consummate, faultless, flawless, impeccable These adjectives mean being wholly without flaw:
a perfect diamond; a consummate performer; faultless logic; a flawless instrumental technique; speaks impeccable French. Usage Note: The adjective
perfect is often considered an absolute term like
chief and
prime; some maintain that it therefore cannot be modified by
more, quite, relatively, and other qualifiers of degree. But the qualification of
perfect has many reputable precedents (most notably in the preamble to the US Constitution in the phrase
"in order to form a more perfect Union"). When
perfect means "ideal for a purpose," as in
There could be no more perfect spot for the picnic, modification by degree is considered acceptable; in fact 74 percent of the Usage Panel approved this example in our 2004 survey. See Usage Notes at
absolute, equal, unique. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
perfect
adj 1. having all essential elements
2. unblemished; faultless: a perfect gemstone.
3. correct or precise: perfect timing.
4. utter or absolute: a perfect stranger.
5. excellent in all respects: a perfect day.
6. (Mathematics) maths exactly divisible into equal integral or polynomial roots: 36 is a perfect square.
7. (Botany)
botany a. (of flowers) having functional stamens and pistils
b. (of plants) having all parts present
8. (Grammar) grammar denoting a tense of verbs used in describing an action that has been completed by the subject. In English this is a compound tense, formed with have or has plus the past participle
9. (Music, other)
music a. of or relating to the intervals of the unison, fourth, fifth, and octave
b. Also:
full or final (of a cadence) ending on the tonic chord, giving a feeling of conclusion. Compare
imperfect6 10. archaic positive certain, or assured
n (Grammar)
grammar a. the perfect tense
b. a verb in this tense
vb (
tr)
11. to make perfect; improve to one's satisfaction: he is in Paris to perfect his French.
12. to make fully accomplished
13. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing to print the reverse side of (a printed sheet of paper)
[C13: from Latin perfectus, from perficere to perform, from per through + facere to do]
ˈperfectness n
Usage: For most of its meanings, the adjective perfect describes an absolute state, i.e. one that cannot be qualified; thus something is either perfect or not perfect, and cannot be more perfect or less perfect. However when perfect means excellent in all respects, a comparative can be used with it without absurdity: the next day the weather was even more perfect
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
per•fect
(adj., n. ˈpɜr fɪkt; v. pərˈfɛkt)
adj. 1. conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type: a perfect gentleman.
2. excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.
3. exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose: the perfect actor for the part.
4. entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings: a perfect apple.
5. accurate, exact, or correct in every detail: a perfect copy.
6. thorough; complete; utter: perfect strangers.
7. unqualified; absolute: perfect control.
8. expert; accomplished; proficient.
9. unmitigated: a perfect fool.
11. a. of or designating a verb tense, aspect, or form typically indicating an action or state extending up to, or having results continuing up to, the present or some other temporal point of reference.
b. of or designating a verb tense, as in Greek, indicating an action or state brought to a close prior to some temporal point of reference, in contrast to imperfect or incomplete action.
12. pertaining to or being the consonant musical intervals of an octave, fifth, or fourth.
13. Obs. assured or certain.
v.t. 14. to bring to perfection; make flawless or faultless.
15. to bring nearer to perfection; improve.
16. to bring to completion; finish.
n. 17. the perfect tense or aspect.
18. a verb form or construction in the perfect tense or aspect.
[1250–1300; late Middle English; Middle English perfit, parfit < Old French < Latin
perfectus, past participle of
perficere to finish, bring to completion =
per- per- +
-ficere, comb. form of
facere to make,
do1]
per•fect′er, n.
per′fect•ness, n.
usage: Some usage guides still object to the use of such comparative terms as
most, more, and
rather with
perfect on the grounds that
perfect describes an absolute condition that cannot exist in degrees. The English language has never agreed to this limitation.
perfect has been compared since its earliest use, first in the obsolete forms
perfecter and
perfectest and later with
more, most, and similar words, in most of its general senses in all varieties of speech and writing:
the most perfect arrangement imaginable. One of the objectives of the writers of the U.S. Constitution was “to form a more perfect union.” See also
complete, unique. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
perfect
1. 'perfect'Something that is perfect is as good as it can possibly be.
She speaks perfect English.
I've got the perfect solution.
In conversation, some people use perfect to mean 'very good indeed'. It is fairly common for people to say that one thing is more perfect than another, or that something is the most perfect thing of its kind.
The resulting film is more perfect than a genuine live broadcast.
Some claim its acoustics to be the most perfect in the world.
2. 'perfectly'You do not use 'perfect' as an adverb. You do not say, for example, 'She did it perfect'. You say 'She did it perfectly'.
The plan worked perfectly.
He was dressed perfectly.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012