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⇱ imperfect - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


imperfect

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ɪmˈpɝfɪkt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(im pûrfikt)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
im•per•fect /ɪmˈpɜrfɪkt/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. of, relating to, or having defects or weaknesses:imperfect vision.
  2. lacking completeness:imperfect knowledge.
  3. Grammarof or naming a verb tense or form that shows a repeated, habitual, or continuing action or state in the past, or an action or state that was in progress at a point of reference in the past:The Spanish verb form hablaban, which means "they used to speak'' or "they were speaking,'' is in the imperfect tense.

n. [uncountable;
usually: the + ~]
  1. Grammarthe imperfect tense;
    a verb form in this tense:Use the imperfect in the next two sentences.
im•per•fect•ly, adv.: I spoke English imperfectly at first.
im•per•fect•ness, n. [uncountable]See -fec-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
im•per•fect  (im pûrfikt),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by defects or weaknesses:imperfect vision.
  2. not perfect;
    lacking completeness:imperfect knowledge.
  3. Grammarnoting action or state still in process at some temporal point of reference, particularly in the past.
  4. Lawbeing without legal effect or support;
    unenforceable.
  5. Botany(of a flower) diclinous.
  6. Music and Danceof or relating to the interval of a major or minor third or sixth. Cf. perfect (def. 12a).

n. [Gram.]
  1. Grammarthe imperfect tense.
  2. Grammaranother verb formation or construction with imperfect meaning.
  3. Grammara form in the imperfect, as Latin portābam, "I was carrying.''
  • Latin, as above
  • Middle French imparfait
  • Latin imperfectus unfinished (see im-2, perfect); replacing Middle English imparfit
  • 1300–50
im•perfect•ly, adv. 
im•perfect•ness, n. 
    1. defective, faulty. 2. incomplete, underdeveloped; immature.
    2. complete, developed.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
imperfect /ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt/ adj
  1. exhibiting or characterized by faults, mistakes, etc; defective
  2. not complete or finished; deficient
  3. denoting a tense of verbs used most commonly in describing continuous or repeated past actions or events, as for example was walking as opposed to walked
  4. (of a trust, an obligation, etc) lacking some necessary formality to make effective or binding; incomplete; legally unenforceable
    • (of a cadence) proceeding to the dominant from the tonic, subdominant, or any chord other than the dominant
    • of or relating to all intervals other than the fourth, fifth, and octave
n
    • the imperfect tense
    • a verb in this tense
imˈperfectly adv imˈperfectness n
'imperfect' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "imperfect" in the title:

a foolish, impudent, imperfect thing, a little disgusting in its unfinished clumsiness
a very imperfect stranger
an imperfect duty
and really is so, in respect of being miserably imperfect
For in fact we have an imperfect duty
Imperfect messenger
Imperfect strangers can put your worries ahead of theirs.
Imperfect the future perfect tense
imperfect-born
Imperfect, clean and white, but not dead straight
judged imperfect
lingering <imperfect> gout
Make imperfect sentence perfect
perfect tense or imperfect?
The imperfect one I ached for
the <imperfect> you
The use of 'would' in as imperfect
their Sunday pitch imperfect
Too imperfect to apply such sympathies beyond themselves
undeveloped understanding and imperfect feelings
who <am> so imperfect

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