noun
-
the condition or quality of being imperfect
-
a fault or defect
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of imperfection
1350–1400; Middle English imperfeccio ( u ) n < Late Latin imperfectiōn- (stem of imperfectiō ) incompleteness. See im- 2, perfection
Explanation
An imperfection is a detail that makes something (or someone) less than perfect. A tiny crack in your otherwise flawless Ming vase might be its only imperfection. In addition to a blemish or defect, imperfection can also mean "the general state of not being perfect." For example, you could say, "Yeah, my dog is funny-looking, but her imperfection is part of what I love about her." The Latin imperfectus is at the root of imperfection, meaning "unfinished, incomplete, or immature," a combination of im-, "not," and perfectus, "finished or complete."
Vocabulary lists containing imperfection
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for May 20–May 26, 2023
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"To Helen Keller" and "Marked/Dusting"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That demand for endearing imperfection is also helping to sustain one of the country's oldest papermaking traditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
It’s always the imperfection of everything you’ve ever written, that’s what keeps you writing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
But he seemed unwilling to transform that imperfection into a constitutional defect in which counsel, in his view, still had “every opportunity” to make the point and did not.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
Aesthetically, the nostalgia obsession will continue, with indicators of tactility, texture and imperfection becoming increasingly significant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
Beowulf had made the best of all he had, putting each imperfection to work in the service of his integrity.
From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye
In an age of AI-generated images and machine-manufactured products, it may be those imperfections that keep some of Britain's oldest skills alive.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Or it could be worry that comes from helping the children understand a plan designed to protect them from their weaknesses requires a discussion of those imperfections.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“It’s a life lesson right, maybe we all should embrace our imperfections a bit more.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Do we accept humans, or humanlike creations, as they are, for all of their imperfections?
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Stored electrical energy is discharged by sparking, a common bug in new accelerators that was customarily eliminated by polishing down any interior imperfections attracting the discharge.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
