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Showing results for imperfection. Search instead for to+perfection.
Synonyms

imperfection

American  
[im-per-fek-shuhn] / ˌɪm pərˈfɛk ʃən /

noun

  1. an imperfect detail; flaw.

    a law full of imperfections.

  2. the quality or condition of being imperfect.

imperfection British  
/ ˌɪmpəˈfɛkʃən /

noun

  1. the condition or quality of being imperfect

  2. a fault or defect

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of imperfection

1350–1400; Middle English imperfeccio ( u ) n < Late Latin imperfectiōn- (stem of imperfectiō ) incompleteness. See im- 2, perfection

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.

Aesthetically, the nostalgia obsession will continue, with indicators of tactility, texture and imperfection becoming increasingly significant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Real performances carry with them a beautiful imperfection, and it is within this often messy mortality that they feel truly alive.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

"When they were out of style they were seen as an imperfection, now they're associated with the summer and an active lifestyle - they've become desirable," Jemma says.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

It also taught me about the importance of finding beauty in imperfection.

From Salon • May 25, 2025

The dazzling imperfection of it all calmed her.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions 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.