as in improperly
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Recent Examples of imperfectly
Winnicott insisted that love, imperfectly given, was enough to get a child started.
—
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Elections, however imperfectly, compel lawmakers to listen and respond.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
People seated together in worship, imperfectly aligned but present.
—Philip Martin, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Considering the speed at which TV shows are often made, the sound may have been mixed hastily and imperfectly.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Introduced in the first episode, the chance meeting between Dean and Rory lined up imperfectly with Rory’s acceptance to the prestigious prep school Chilton.
—Justin Kirkland, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
There was something undeniably valiant about the way the first one tried, however imperfectly, to bend that long Mouse House tradition of human-acting animals into a means for an examination of racial bias.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Because of the harsh desert conditions, mesquite grows slowly, and imperfectly, which results in spectacular grain and character.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Elections, however imperfectly, compel lawmakers to listen and respond.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
People seated together in worship, imperfectly aligned but present.
—Philip Martin, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Considering the speed at which TV shows are often made, the sound may have been mixed hastily and imperfectly.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Introduced in the first episode, the chance meeting between Dean and Rory lined up imperfectly with Rory’s acceptance to the prestigious prep school Chilton.
—Justin Kirkland, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
There was something undeniably valiant about the way the first one tried, however imperfectly, to bend that long Mouse House tradition of human-acting animals into a means for an examination of racial bias.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Because of the harsh desert conditions, mesquite grows slowly, and imperfectly, which results in spectacular grain and character.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperfectly
Adverb
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Byard studies a smartphone showing his year-old wishes for a new coach, those expressed to a reporter late last season, including disappointment that far too many missteps had been improperly dealt with.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Martinez's attorney sought a hearing to determine whether federal authorities improperly destroyed evidence in the cranial case against her by allowing the SUV to be taken back to Maine.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The attorney general's office also said, because the district did not show how the plaintiffs could only inadequately represent them, intervention of right was not an available option, and that intervention would unnecessarily prolong the case.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Jan. 2026
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The titular role highlighted her distinctive looks and personality including long blonde hair and an attitude sometimes inadequately described as pouty.—
IndieWire Staff,
IndieWire,
28 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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But some predictions were off, like the supporting actress category, with neither Polymarket nor Kalshi predicting Oscar nominee Elle Fanning, while Polymarket bettors incorrectly projected Ariana Grande would get a nod,.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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The platform automatically adds guardrails to those accounts, and adults who were incorrectly flagged can lift those restrictions by submitting a photo for visual age verification.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Rutte and his government resigned in 2021 to take responsibility for a child care allowance scandal in which thousands of parents were wrongly accused of fraud.—
Mike Corder,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Professionalism has wrongly shifted from emotional control to emotional suppression, leading to lifeless workplaces, stifled creativity, and poor decision-making.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Providers need guidance and a process for recovering erroneously withheld amounts from the provider or the IRS.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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And huge doses of vitamin C (once erroneously thought to stave off colds) can stomach upset, diarrhoea and, in extreme cases, kidney stones.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
2 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Structural alpha occurs when the market inaccurately prices the change itself.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
4 Jan. 2026
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For example, Apple briefly turned off an AI feature that rewrote push notifications from news apps inaccurately (it’s since been turned back on by default).—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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According to a New Mexico warrant obtained and reviewed by EW, Busfield has been accused by a pair of twin actors of inappropriately touching them while on the set of the Fox crime drama The Cleaning Lady.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
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Whatever the truth of that claim, the phrase is inappropriately taken from a poem that is about a horror that cannot be compared to taxation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Officials in Brussels, Berlin, and Paris viewed early proposals as overly concessive to Moscow, insufficiently safeguarding Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity — particularly regarding Donbas, Crimea, and possible concessions beyond current lines of control.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Those who have recently fallen into homelessness and, with temporary support, have the greatest chance of achieving self-sufficiency are typically deemed insufficiently vulnerable.—
Christopher Calton,
Oc Register,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperfectly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperfectly. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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