perfect
matching in every detail the definition of an ideal type of something: Even a ball bearing is not a perfect sphere.Your son is a perfect gentleman!
excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement: There is no perfect legal code.The proportions of this temple are almost perfect.
exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose: He is the perfect actor to play Mr. Micawber.I have the perfect saw for cutting out keyholes.
entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings: She chose a perfect apple from the bowl.It was very nearly the perfect crime—next to impossible for detectives to solve.
accurate, exact, or correct in every detail: I’ll email you a perfect copy when revisions are complete.
thorough or complete; absolute; utter: A week ago we were perfect strangers, and already we’ve become friends.He made a perfect fool of himself.
expert; accomplished; proficient: She will need a perfect driving teacher.
pure or unmixed: perfect yellow.
Botany.
having all parts or members present.
Grammar. designating a verb aspect or other verb category used for an action or state that is or will be complete as of some point of reference in time, and that is thought of with regard to its relevance or effect for that time.
Music.
of or designating the consonances of unison, octave, and fifth, as distinguished from those of the third and sixth. : Compare imperfect (def. 6).
of or designating the intervals, harmonic or melodic, of an octave, fifth, and fourth in their normal form, as opposed to augmented and diminished.
Mathematics. (of a set) equal to its set of accumulation points.
Obsolete. assured or certain.
a verb aspect or other verb category used for an action or state that is or will be complete as of some point of reference in time, and that is thought of with regard to its relevance or effect for that time.
an instance or form of a verb in this aspect, as in Ihave washedthe dishes, so can I go now? or By the time I arrived theyhad finishedbreakfast.
to bring to perfection; make flawless or faultless: He has succeeded in perfecting his recipe for chicken Kiev.
to bring nearer to perfection; improve; make better: She works hard to perfect her writing.
to make fully skilled.
to bring to completion; finish: Nietzsche believed that the emergence of the Superman would perfect the evolution of the human race.
Printing. to print the reverse of (a printed sheet).
Origin of perfect
1usage note For perfect
Other words for perfect
4 | unblemished; flawless, faultless, picture-perfect |
Other words from perfect
- per·fect·ed·ly, adverb
- per·fect·er, noun
- per·fect·ness, noun
- non·per·fect·ed, adjective
- qua·si-per·fect, adjective
- qua·si-per·fect·ly, adverb
- self-per·fect·ing, adjective
- su·per·per·fect, adjective
- su·per·per·fect·ly, adverb
- un·per·fect, adjective
- un·per·fect·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with perfect
- perfect , prefect
Words Nearby perfect
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use perfect in a sentence
However, many other hospitals in other parts of Virginia, including the 11 Sentara hospital group hospitals, received perfect 100 percent scores, the report shows.
HRC examines hospital policies, impact of COVID on LGBTQ people | Lou Chibbaro Jr. | September 16, 2020 | Washington BladeSeven years after its founding, Snowflake had perfected an amazing new way to run databases on cloud servers, but it was struggling to attract enough big corporate customers.
So, having that public accountability, about what they think — and no one’s gonna be perfect on it — helps a lot.
What if Your Company Had No Rules? (Bonus Episode) | Maria Konnikova | September 12, 2020 | FreakonomicsOddly enough, it’s a perfect time to offer this, and I think it answers a demand, which is beauty brands by women of color.
Kimora Lee Simmons Talks Baby Phat Beauty And Self-Care | Hope Wright | September 11, 2020 | Essence.comBig Pharma is far from perfect—for example, there may be outlier companies that have charged rapacious prices on drugs.
On COVID-19 vaccines, Big Pharma knows to just say ‘no’ | matthewheimer | September 11, 2020 | Fortune
Estee Lauder has not crumbled to dust because the perfect brown face of Joan Smalls represents it.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem | Danielle Belton | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe perfect Storm writer talks combat brotherhood and the threat posed by growing wealth inequality.
Sebastian Junger on War, Loss, and a Divided America | The Daily Beast Video | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTSo perfect that we wonder if we should risk ruining it by asking for yet another take.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards | Kevin Fallon | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Oscar-winning actress put nude photo thieves in their place with one perfect statement.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Righteous Fury Says Everything We Wanted to Say | Kevin O’Keeffe | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
The afternoon was a lovely one—the day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn.
Confidence | Henry JamesIn the most perfect stillness, we arrived within two hundred paces of the enemy's camp.
But if the Bible was written by men, some of them more or less inspired, then it would not, in all probability be wholly perfect.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordEven genius, however, needs direction and adjustment to secure the most perfect and reliable results.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickWe stood staring after the fugitives in perfect bewilderment, totally unable to explain their apparently causeless panic.
British Dictionary definitions for perfect
having all essential elements
unblemished; faultless: a perfect gemstone
correct or precise: perfect timing
utter or absolute: a perfect stranger
excellent in all respects: a perfect day
maths exactly divisible into equal integral or polynomial roots: 36 is a perfect square
botany
(of flowers) having functional stamens and pistils
(of plants) having all parts present
grammar denoting a tense of verbs used in describing an action that has been completed by the subject. In English this is a compound tense, formed with have or has plus the past participle
music
of or relating to the intervals of the unison, fourth, fifth, and octave
Also: full, final (of a cadence) ending on the tonic chord, giving a feeling of conclusion: Compare imperfect (def. 6)
archaic positive certain, or assured
grammar
the perfect tense
a verb in this tense
to make perfect; improve to one's satisfaction: he is in Paris to perfect his French
to make fully accomplished
printing to print the reverse side of (a printed sheet of paper)
Origin of perfect
1usage For perfect
Derived forms of perfect
- perfectness, noun
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
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