perfect

adjective

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per·fect | \ ˈpər-fikt

Definition of perfect

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : being entirely without fault or defect : flawless a perfect diamond

b : satisfying all requirements : accurate

c : corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept a perfect gentleman

d : faithfully reproducing the original specifically : letter-perfect

e : legally valid

2 : expert, proficient practice makes perfect

3a : pure, total

b : lacking in no essential detail : complete

c obsolete : sane

d : absolute, unequivocal enjoys perfect happiness

e : of an extreme kind : unmitigated a perfect brat an act of perfect foolishness

4 obsolete : mature

5 : of, relating to, or constituting a verb form or verbal that expresses an action or state completed at the time of speaking or at a time spoken of

6 obsolete

a : certain, sure

b : contented, satisfied

7 of a musical interval : belonging to the consonances unison, fourth, fifth, and octave which become augmented or diminished when raised or lowered by a half step

8a : sexually mature and fully differentiated a perfect insect

b : having both stamens and pistils in the same flower a perfect flower

perfect

verb

per·fect | \ pər-ˈfekt

also ˈpər-fikt

perfected; perfecting; perfects

Definition of perfect (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to bring to final form

2 : to make perfect : improve, refine

perfect

noun

per·fect | \ ˈpər-fikt

Definition of perfect (Entry 3 of 3)

: the perfect tense of a language also : a verb form in the perfect tense

Other Words from perfect Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about perfect

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Choose the Right Synonym for perfect

Adjective

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular. perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state. a perfect set of teeth whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained. felt like a whole person again after vacation entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing. the entire Beethoven corpus intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state. the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of perfect in a Sentence

Adjective He drew a perfect circle. She's a perfect baby. She hardly cries and she sleeps through the night. His behavior is a perfect example of what not to do. This is a perfect time to have a wedding. Going to the museum was a perfect way to spend a rainy day. “Is that a big enough piece of pie?” “Yes, it's perfect, thanks.” Verb perfected the arrangements for their long-awaited European vacation an art teacher who seems to believe that you can always perfect a painting with some additional brush strokes

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The title makes perfect sense to Abbasi, an accomplished composer and doctoral student at the University of California San Diego. — Beth Wood Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune, "In La Jolla Symphony & Chorus ‘Music in Community’ concert, an unlikely pairing," 10 Apr. 2021 These juicy lip glosses are perfect for giving a super plump, insanely shiny finish to your bare lips or on top of your favorite lipstick. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, "The Limited-Edition Lizzie McGuire Collection By Colourpop Is the Cutest Thing We’ve Seen All 2021," 10 Apr. 2021 Oozing with chinoiserie style, this cute little shelf is perfect for the nooks and crannies in your home. — Courtney Thompson, CNN Underscored, "What is grandmillennial style? Shop the latest home décor trend," 9 Apr. 2021 From another angle, though, the outrage made perfect sense. — Judy Berman, Time, "TV Is Having a Talking-Head Crisis, From Sharon Osbourne to Dr. Oz to Meghan McCain," 8 Apr. 2021 There's a subtle light-reflecting formula that keeps skin hydrated, which is perfect for spring and summertime fun. — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, "Step Up Your Skincare Game With Millie Bobby Brown's Florence by Mills Products," 8 Apr. 2021 And this makes perfect, intuitive sense because unlike products, which are tangible and distinct from the consumer, experience is inseparable from the human being who is going through it. — Sanat Rao, Forbes, "Winning In The Experience Economy," 7 Apr. 2021 The flour tortillas are of the petite, chubby variety that are perfect for smaller breakfast tacos or for scooping with a meal. — Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, "The 5 best shops to buy tortillas in San Antonio along Blanco from Hildebrand to Castle Hills," 7 Apr. 2021 So an improvised parade through a half-empty campus made perfect sense, in some ways. — Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stanford parades around campus to celebrate women's basketball title," 5 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Cowen has created a warm, eye-catching beauty look ideal for any occasion—and perfect for her. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Abigail Cowen’s Guide to Earth-Tone Eyes and an Effortless Red Lip," 18 Mar. 2021 Maren prefers to stay behind the bar and perfect the art of cocktail-making. — Natalie Schumann, Country Living, "Maren Morris and Husband Ryan Hurd's Relationship Is Sweeter Than a Love Song," 14 Mar. 2021 The fit in the ear is close to perfect thanks to the shape and weight of the earbuds. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, "Iggy Pop Unveils Marshall’s First-Ever True Wireless Earbuds," 4 Mar. 2021 Stores fulfilled 95% of sales, after the retailer had worked to perfect a store-centric fulfillment model over the past few years. — Nicole Norfleet, Star Tribune, "Target's sales grew $15B last year, more than in last 11 combined," 2 Mar. 2021 Jugenburg worked to perfect his Dr. 6ix social media routine, which included asking patients like Laura for their permission to film and post their surgeries. — Katherine Laidlaw, Wired, "Your Body, Your Self, Your Surgeon, His Instagram," 19 Jan. 2021 Rivers had been living in Malibu, his house having picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean, his life next to perfect. — Broderick Turner Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Doc Rivers will try to cure what ails the talented 76ers," 22 Dec. 2020 Then a person uses a smaller buffing wheel and, eventually, soft lamb’s wool to perfect the polish by hand. — New York Times, "How to Build a Guitar," 28 Nov. 2020 Gray hit up chefs and pandemic-era sourdough enthusiasts for pointers on how to perfect his dough. — Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, "Everything About Brandoni Pepperoni’s Pizzas Scream Los Angeles," 26 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While $100-$200 boosters are common, a $30 plug-in option can still offer a universally compatible add-on perfect for homes in the sub-1200 square feet category. — Popular Science, "Best WiFi booster: Always have internet no matter where you are," 23 Feb. 2021 Most scholars of political transitions will tell you that successful transformations have one thing in common: Their leaders do not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. — New York Times, "In Poland, Protests Over Abortion Ban Could Revolutionize Politics," 7 Dec. 2020 House Democrats would need to stop allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good and agree to a compromise that can pass the Senate. — Michael R. Strain, Star Tribune, "Don't be fooled. The coronavirus economy still needs help.," 18 Nov. 2020 The only thing that might have made this tale perfect: a toilet in my treehouse, to avoid any middle-of-the-night wanderings through the forest. — Susan Glaser, cleveland, "Overnighting in Toledo’s magical new treehouse village, where the sounds of the forest come to life," 15 Oct. 2020 In the 2017 GameSoundCon Game Audio Industry Survey, women game composers and sound designers made up just 12.7 perfect of the industry (earning just 83 percent of what men in the same roles do). — Dia Lacina, Wired, "The Women Who Invented Video Game Music," 5 Oct. 2020 The super-packable Dryzzle Jacket is a perfect for hiking, camping and adventuring in wet weather. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Labor Dale deals: North Face offering up to 30% off during end-of-summer sale," 29 Aug. 2020 Her judgment of character is pretty pitch-perfect, so her reaction is dead-on. — Rosy Cordero, EW.com, "Gabrielle Union on how her baby daughter inspired her new children's book," 30 May 2020 Roasted potatoes are a simple, hearty side perfect for a winter meal. — Saveur, "Perfect Potato Recipes," 15 Sep. 2015

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

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More Definitions for perfect

perfect

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of perfect

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having no mistakes or flaws

: completely correct or accurate

: having all the qualities you want in that kind of person, situation, etc.

perfect

verb

English Language Learners Definition of perfect (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (something good) perfect or better

See the full definition for perfect in the English Language Learners Dictionary

perfect

adjective

per·fect | \ ˈpər-fikt

Kids Definition of perfect

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having no mistake or flaw a perfect plan a perfect diamond

2 : satisfying all requirements It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

3 : thoroughly skilled or trained : meeting the highest standards a perfect performance

4 : total entry 1 sense 3 perfect silence

perfect

verb

per·fect | \ pər-ˈfekt

perfected; perfecting

Kids Definition of perfect (Entry 2 of 2)

: to improve (something) so that it has no flaws

perfect

adjective

per·fect | \ ˈpər-fikt

Legal Definition of perfect

(Entry 1 of 2)

: entirely without fault or defect: as

a : satisfying all requirements failed to make perfect tender

b : free from any valid legal objection : valid and effective at law having perfect title to the property — compare imperfect

perfect

transitive verb

per·fect | \ pər-ˈfekt

Legal Definition of perfect (Entry 2 of 2)

: to complete or put in final conformity with the law: as

a : to make (an appeal) ready for transfer to an appeals court by satisfying procedural requirements

b : to put (one's security interest) in a position or status having priority over subsequently perfected security interests or unperfected security interests by taking statutorily prescribed steps to give notice especially by filing a financing statement or taking possession of the collateral was the first creditor to perfect its security interest in the debtor's collateral, and, thus, was the first in priority for the collateral — Commercial Bank v. Pride Furniture, Inc., 877 P.2d 1222 (1994) — compare attach sense 3

intransitive verb

: to make something (as a security interest) complete, in conformity with the law, or valid against third-party claims