- per´fect|ness
- per|fect «adjective, noun. PUR fihkt; verb. puhr FEHKT», adjective, verb, noun.–adj.1. having no faults; not spoiled at any point; without defect: »
a perfect spelling paper, a perfect apple, a perfect life. Perfect work shows great care.
SYNONYM(S): faultless, impeccable.2. a) completely skilled; expert: »a perfect golfer. Our battle is more full of names than yours, Our men more perfect in the use of arms (Shakespeare).
SYNONYM(S): accomplished. b) thoroughly learned or acquired: »The lesson is but plain, And once made perfect, never lost again (Shakespeare).
3. having all its parts there; whole; complete: »The set was perfect; nothing was missing or broken.
SYNONYM(S): intact.7. Grammar. a) showing an action or event completed at the time of speaking or at the time spoken of. b) designating a verb form or verb phrase with such a meaning. Three perfect tenses in English are: present perfect (I have done), past perfect (I had done), and future perfect (I will have done).8. Botany. having both stamens and pistils: »a perfect flower.
9. Music. having to do with the intervals or original consonances of unison, a fourth, fifth, and octave, as contrasted with the major intervals of a third and sixth.10. Mathematics. (of a whole number) equal to the sum of its divisors.11. Obsolete. assured; certain: »Thou art perfect then, our ship hath touch'd upon The deserts of Bohemia? (Shakespeare).
12. Obsolete. satisfied; contented: »Might we but have that happiness…we should think ourselves forever perfect (Shakespeare).
–v.t.1. to make perfect; remove all faults from; add the finishing touches to; improve: »to perfect an invention. The artist is perfecting his picture.
2. to carry through; complete; finish: »to perfect a plan;…the system of religious persecution commenced by Charles, and perfected by Philip (John L. Motley).
3. to make fully skilled: »to perfect oneself in an art.
–n. Grammar.1. the perfect tense.2. a verb form or verb phrase in the perfect tense. Have eaten is the perfect of eat. Abbr: perf.╂[alteration (influenced by Latin) of Middle English parfite < Old French parfit < Latin perfectus completed, past participle of perficere < per- thoroughly + facere make, do]–per|fect´er, noun.–per´fect|ness, noun.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
