perfection
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being or becoming perfect.
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the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art.
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a perfect embodiment or example of something.
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a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence.
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the highest or most nearly perfect degree of a quality or trait.
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the act or fact of perfecting.
noun
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the act of perfecting or the state or quality of being perfect
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the highest degree of a quality, etc
the perfection of faithfulness
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an embodiment of perfection
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perfection
First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin perfectiōn-, stem of perfectiō “completion, finishing”; equivalent to perfect + -ion; replacing Middle English perfeccioun, perfectiun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Perfection is a flawless state where everything is exactly right. It can also be the action of making something perfect. Since perfect things are without fault or flaw, perfection is a perfect condition — everything is 100% great. Of course, perfection is hard to find. People often use this word as a compliment for something that just couldn’t be better, as in "That red dress matches your red hair to perfection!” Also, if a musician is getting a song down pat, you could say she’s working on the perfection of the song: she’s learning to play it flawlessly.
Vocabulary lists containing perfection
"Imperfect Me"
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"Romeo and Juliet" and "West Side Story"
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James Monroe's First Inaugural Address (1817)
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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.
For New York, a season’s worth of setbacks—including those heartbreaking losses early in the playoffs—was all worth it for the payoff: basketball perfection when the games matter most.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
From fashion runways to the covers of books, a trendy “naive” aesthetic is ditching polished perfection for the deliberate messiness of childhood.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
If ServiceNow and IBM are any indication, investors will punish the whole sector for anything other than perfection.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
However, with a delicate touch and the flag on the far side of the green, his near 30-yard effort was perfection, taking a bounce on the putting surface before rolling straight into the cup.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
After hesitating only a second, she chose to save perfection and leave the damaged.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
