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imperfect

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
im·per·fect  (m-pûrfkt)
adj.
1. Not perfect.
2. Grammar Of or being the tense of a verb that shows, usually in the past, an action or a condition as incomplete, continuous, or coincident with another action.
3. Botany Having either stamens or a pistil only. Used of a flower.
4. Law Not legally enforceable: an imperfect contract.
n.
1. A piece of merchandise having a minor flaw that does not impair its use, usually sold at a discount.
2. Abbr. imp. or imperf. Grammar
a. The imperfect tense.
b. A verb in the imperfect tense.

[Middle English imparfit, from Old French imparfait, from Latin imperfectus : in-, not; see in-1 + perfectus, perfect; see perfect.]

im·perfect·ly adv.
im·perfect·ness n.

imperfect [ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt]
adj
1. exhibiting or characterized by faults, mistakes, etc.; defective
2. not complete or finished; deficient
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) Botany
a.  (of flowers) lacking functional stamens or pistils
b.  (of fungi) not undergoing sexual reproduction
4. (Linguistics / Grammar) Grammar denoting a tense of verbs used most commonly in describing continuous or repeated past actions or events, as for example was walking as opposed to walked
5. (Law) Law (of a trust, an obligation, etc.) lacking some necessary formality to make effective or binding; incomplete; legally unenforceable See also executory [1]
6. (Music / Classical Music) Music
a.  (of a cadence) proceeding to the dominant from the tonic, subdominant, or any chord other than the dominant
b.  of or relating to all intervals other than the fourth, fifth, and octave Compare perfect [9]
n
(Linguistics / Grammar) Grammar
a.  the imperfect tense
b.  a verb in this tense
imperfectly  adv
imperfectness  n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.imperfect - a tense of verbs used in describing action that is on-going
tense - a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
present progressive, present progressive tense - a tense used to express action that is on-going at the time of utterance
past progressive, past progressive tense - a progressive tense used to describe on-going action in the past; "`I had been running' is an example of the past progressive"
future progressive, future progressive tense - a progressive tense used to express action that will be on-going in the future; "`I will be running' is an example of the future progressive"
Adj.1.imperfect - not perfect; defective or inadequate; "had only an imperfect understanding of his responsibilities"; "imperfect mortals"; "drainage here is imperfect"
blemished - marred by imperfections
broken - physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split; "a broken mirror"; "a broken tooth"; "a broken leg"; "his neck is broken"
perfect - being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish; "a perfect circle"; "a perfect reproduction"; "perfect happiness"; "perfect manners"; "a perfect specimen"; "a perfect day"
2.imperfect - wanting in moral strength, courage, or will; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; "I'm only a fallible human"; "frail humanity"
human - having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings; "human beings"; "the human body"; "human kindness"; "human frailty"

imperfect
Translations
imperfect [ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt]
A. ADJ
1. (= faulty) [machine, product] → defectuoso; [hearing, vision] → deficiente; [understanding, world, method] → imperfecto; [knowledge] → incompleto, limitado; [reasoning] → deficiente, incorrecto
2. (Ling) [tense] → imperfecto
B. N (Ling) → imperfecto m
a verb in the imperfectun verbo en imperfecto

imperfect [ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt]
adj
[world, human being] → imparfait(e)
We live in an imperfect world → Nous vivons dans un monde imparfait.
We have to accept ourselves as imperfect human beings → Nous devons nous accepter comme des êtres imparfaits.
(= incomplete) [knowledge, understanding] → imparfait(e)
[tool, substitute] → imparfait(e)
[goods, merchandise] → présentant des imperfections
They sell slightly imperfect merchandise at low prices → Ils vendent à bas prix des marchandises présentant de légères imperfections.
n (also imperfect tense) → imparfait m
in the imperfect → à l'imparfait

imperfect
adj
(= faulty)unvollkommen, mangelhaft; (Comm) goodsfehlerhaft
(= incomplete)unvollständig, unvollkommen
(Gram) → Imperfekt-, Vergangenheits-; imperfect formImperfekt- or Vergangenheitsform f
n (Gram) → Imperfekt nt, → Vergangenheit f

imperfect [ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt]
1. adj
a. (gen) → difettoso/a
b. (Gram) → imperfetto/a
2. n (Gram) (also imperfect tense) → imperfetto
in the imperfect → all'imperfetto

imperfect [ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt]
1. adj
a. (gen) → difettoso/a
b. (Gram) → imperfetto/a
2. n (Gram) (also imperfect tense) → imperfetto
in the imperfect → all'imperfetto

imperfect
adj imperfect [imˈpəːfikt]
1 having a fault This coat is being sold at half-price because it is imperfect. foutief فيه عَيْب несъвършен vadný mangelfuld; fejlbehæftet unvollkommen ελαττωματικός imperfecto ebatäiuslik ناقص epätäydellinen imparfait לא מוּשלָם त्रुतिपूर्ण nesavršen tökéletlen punya cacat gallaður difettoso 欠陥のある 결함이 있는 su defektu ar defektiem/trūkumiem; nepilnīgs ada cacat onvolmaakt defekt, mangelfull, ufullkommen wadliwy imperfeito imperfect дефектный nedokonalý, neúplný z napako nesavršen bristfällig, defekt บกพร่อง kusurlu, hatalı 有缺陷的 неповний, незавершений ناقص có lỗi
2 (also noun) (a verb) of the tense expressing an action or state in the past which is not completed The verb `go' in `I was going' is in the imperfect tense. onvoltooid غَير تام весвършен imperfektní imperfektum; datid unvollendet παρατατικός (γραμμ.) imperfecto kestev minevik استمراری imperfekti imparfait זְמַן עָבָר מְמוּשָך अपूर्ण nepotpun folyamatos múlt idő tidak sempurna ólokið horf í þátíð imperfetto 未完了時制の (시제가) 미완료의 eigos veikslas imperfekts; nepabeigts tidak sempurna imperfectum imperfektum, preteritum niedokonany imperfeito imperfect имперфект(ный) nedokonavý nedovršni čas imperfekat progressiv form ซึ่งไม่สมบูรณ์ bitmemiş eylem gösteren 未完成式 минулий недоконаний час استمراری عمل جاری کو ظاہر کرنے والا chưa hoàn thành
adv imˈperfectly
onvolmaak بِصورَة غَير تامَّه несъвършено nedokonale mangelfuldt; fejlbehæftet unvollkommen ελλιπώς de forma imperfecta ebatäiuslikult بطور ناقص epätäydellisesti imparfaitement בְּאוֹפֶן לֹא מוּשׁלָם अपूर्णता nesavršeno hiányosan, tökéletlenül secara tak sempurna ekki til fullnustu imperfettamente 不完全に 불완전하게 netobulai nepilnīgi dengan tidak sempurna onvolkomen mangelfullt, ufullkomment niedoskonale imperfeitamente imperfect несовершенно nedokonale nepopolno nesavršeno bristfälligt อย่างไม่สมบูรณ์ eksik/noksan bir şekilde 有缺陷地 неповністю ناتمامی سے một cách dở dang
n imperˈfection [-ˈfekʃən]
(the state of having) a fault or defect. onvolmaaktheid نَقْص، عَيْب، شائِبَه несъвършенство nedokonalost mangelfuldhed die Unvollkommenheit ατέλεια imperfección ebatäiuslikkus نقص vajavaisuus imperfection פְּגָם, חִיסָרוֹן दोष defektnost, manjkavost tökéletlenség cacat galli imperfezione 欠陥 결함, 불완전 defektas, trūkumas nepilnība; defekts; trūkums ketidaksempurnaan onvolmaaktheid ufullkommenhet, svakhet niedoskonałość imperfeição imperfecţiune несовершенство nedokonalosť nepopolnost nesavršenstvo bristfällighet ข้อบกพร่อง kusur, eksiklik 有缺陷 недосконалість; вада عدم تکمیل sự không hoàn hảo


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
This world, the eternally imperfect, an eternal contradiction's image and imperfect image--an intoxicating joy to its imperfect creator:--thus did the world once seem to me.
Nor have I been disappointed; in this and in all other perplexing cases I have invariably found that our knowledge, imperfect though it be, of variation under domestication, afforded the best and safest clue.
the ideal state seems far away, and we find a dispassionate survey of imperfect states, the best ways of preserving them, and an analysis of the causes of their instability.
 
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