imperfect

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adjective im·per·fect \ (ˌ)im-ˈpər-fikt \

Definition of imperfect

1 :not perfect: such as

a :defective

b of a flower :having stamens or pistils but not both

c :lacking or not involving sexual reproduction

the imperfect stage of a fungus

2 :of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense used to designate a continuing state or an incomplete action especially in the past

3 :not enforceable at law

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imperfectly

play \(ˌ)im-ˈpər-fik(t)-lē\ adverb

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imperfectness

play \(ˌ)im-ˈpər-fik(t)-nəs\ noun

See imperfect defined for English-language learners

See imperfect defined for kids

Examples of imperfect in a Sentence

It's an imperfect solution to a difficult problem.
He had an imperfect understanding of the task.
In “He was singing when I came in,” “was singing” is in the imperfect tense.

Recent Examples of imperfect from the Web

Predicting who will succeed is an imperfect art, but also, sometimes, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

— michelle legro, Longreads, "Ellen Pao Is Ready to Name Names," 22 Aug. 2017
Pathologically imperfect Ingrid moves across the country, learns everything there is to know about Taylor, and—as one character puts it—begins to Single White Female her.

— julia black, Esquire, "Ingrid Goes West Proves That You Can Make a Compelling Movie About Instagram," 11 Aug. 2017
Exactly how the bag ended up winding its way through Kansas, and then the courts, is a mystery created by imperfect record-keeping at NASA, the Smithsonian Institution and the Cosmosphere.

— scott canon, kansascity, "She paid less than $1,000 for a moon dust bag and it’s now worth nearly $2 million," 20 July 2017
Some income security in retirement, however imperfect, came to be seen as a citizen’s right.

— robert y. shapiro, Washington Post, "Why can’t the Senate repeal Obamacare? Because its policies are actually popular.," 19 July 2017
In the years that followed, imperfect democracies in Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand appeared to be gaining strength.

— The Economist, "More money, less freedomSouth-East Asia’s future looks prosperous but illiberal," 18 July 2017
Political leadership, while imperfect, is superior to previous iterations, both black and white.

— New York Times, "Five Days of Unrest That Shaped, and Haunted, Newark," 11 July 2017
Stock-market returns are one, albeit imperfect, way of answering this question and since the initial developments, Google has far outperformed Apple.

— mihir a. desai, The Atlantic, "Capitalism the Apple Way vs. Capitalism the Google Way," 10 July 2017
But options for turning the screw on the North financially also are imperfect.

— matthew lee, The Seattle Times, "To punish NKorea, US weighs sanctions on Chinese companies," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imperfect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of imperfect

alteration of Middle English imparfit, from Latin imperfectus, from in- + perfectus perfect

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First Known Use: 14th century

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imperfect Synonyms

Synonyms

amiss, bad, defective, flawed, faulty

Antonyms

faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect

Related Words

fallible; blemished, broken, crippled, damaged, defaced, disfigured, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, marred, spoiled, vitiated; deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting

Near Antonyms

complete, entire, intact, whole; unblemished, undamaged, unimpaired, unspoiled

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

imperfect

noun

Definition of imperfect

:an imperfect tense; also :the verb form expressing it

See imperfect defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of imperfect from the Web

Performances had been stuttering, results imperfect: At Santiago Bernabéu, the 85,000-seat stadium where Real Madrid plays its matches, one loss and three draws in 11 league games does not cut it.

— rory smith, New York Times, "Real Madrid Wins Easily in Zidane’s Debut as Coach JAN. 9, 2016," 2 Dec. 2016

First Known Use of imperfect

1871

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

IMPERFECT Defined for English Language Learners

imperfect

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adjective

Definition of imperfect for English Language Learners

: having mistakes or problems : not perfect
grammar : of or relating to a verb tense used to express an incomplete action in the past or a state that continued for a period of time in the past

IMPERFECT Defined for Kids

imperfect

play

adjective im·per·fect \ im-ˈpər-fikt \

Definition of imperfect for Students

:having a fault of some kind :not perfect

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imperfectly

adverb

Law Dictionary

imperfect

adjective im·per·fect

legal Definition of imperfect

:not perfect or complete: as

a :not enforceable :enforceable only under certain conditions

an imperfect obligation

b :lacking an element otherwise required by law — compare perfect

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for imperfect Spanish Central: Translation of imperfect Nglish: Translation of imperfect for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of imperfect for Arabic speakers

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imperfect

Definition of imperfect

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IMPERFECT Defined for English Language Learners

imperfect

Definition of imperfect for English Language Learners

IMPERFECT Defined for Kids

imperfect

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imperfectly

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imperfect

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