imperfect en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɪkt/
- /ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɛkt/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin im- Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Proto-Italic *peri- Latin per- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Latin faciō Latin perficiō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin perfectus Latin imperfectusder. Old French imparfitder. Middle English imperfit English imperfect From Middle English imperfit, from Old French imparfit (modern French imparfait), from Latin imperfectus. Spelling modified 15c. to conform Latin etymology. See im- + perfect.
Meanings
-
Not perfect.
Nothing imperfet or deficient left Of all that he Created.
1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault; / Say rather, man's as perfect as he ought.
1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC:Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect.
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 vi]:
- Unisexual: having either male (with stamens) or female (with pistil) flowers, but not with both.
- Known or expected to be polyphyletic, as of a form taxon.
- (of a tense or verb form) Representing a continuing or repeated action.
-
(obsolete) Lacking some elementary organ that is essential to successful or normal activity.
When the prophet Joel was describing the formidable accidents in the day of the Lord's judgment, and the fearful sentence of an angry Judge, he was not able to express it, but stammered like a child, or an amazed, imperfect person.
1653, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon III. [Doomsday Book; or, Christ’s Advent to Judgment.] Part III.”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 35:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more imperfect | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most imperfect | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
perfect · infallible · faultless · perfect
Coordinates
Deriveds
present imperfect · imperfect number · imperfect indicative · imperfect rhyme · imperfectness · imperfect tense · imperfect subjunctive · past imperfect tense · imperfect time · imperfectly · imperfect authentic cadence · imperfect fungi
Relateds
Synonyms
defective · faultful · fallible · faulty
Translations (58)
gl imperfecto (not perfect) · tr noksan (not perfect) · fr imparfait ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · pl niedoskonały (not perfect) · de unvollkommen (not perfect) · la imperfectus (not perfect) · mi tōrōkiri (not perfect) · pdt onvollkomen (not perfect) · he לֹא נִשְׁלָם ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · cs nedokonalý (not perfect) · de fehlerhaft (not perfect) · bg несъвършен (not perfect) · ang unfulfremed (not perfect) · es imperfecto (not perfect) · tl dihimpit (not perfect) · de unvollständig (not perfect) · bg незавършен (not perfect) · km ខ្ចោះ (not perfect) · sh nesavršen ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · ru несоверше́нный (not perfect) · hu tökéletlen (not perfect) · ja 不完全な (not perfect) · mi takarepa (not perfect) · mi nawe (not perfect) · az qeyri-kamil (not perfect) · la imperfectus ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · fr imparfait (not perfect) · ota اكسیك (not perfect) · hu befejezetlen ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · fi epätäydellinen (not perfect) · wa durant ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · grc παρατατικός ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · mi kōkau (not perfect) · ro imperfect (not perfect) · ca imperfecte (not perfect) · tr kusurlu (not perfect) · pt imperfeito (not perfect) · el ατελής (not perfect) · el ελαττωματικός (not perfect) · scn mpirfettu ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · el ελλιπής (not perfect) · de mangelhaft (not perfect) · ast imperfeutu (not perfect) · tl balhag (not perfect) · he לֹא מוּשְלָם (not perfect) · pl niedokonany ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · fi vajavainen (not perfect) · hu folyamatos ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · nl onvolmaakt (not perfect) · sq E pakryer ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · uk недоскона́лий (not perfect) · el πλημμελής (not perfect) · id tidak sempurna (not perfect) · eo imperfekta ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · it imperfetto (not perfect) · it imperfetto ((grammar) belonging to a tense of verbs used in describing a past action that is incomplete or continuous) · nl imperfect (not perfect) · ga anfhoirfe (not perfect)