perfection

American  

[per-fek-shuhn] / pərˈfɛk ʃən /

noun

1. the state or quality of being or becoming perfect.

2. the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art.

3. a perfect embodiment or example of something.

4. a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence.

5. the highest or most nearly perfect degree of a quality or trait.

6. the act or fact of perfecting.

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perfection British  

/ pəˈfɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of perfecting or the state or quality of being perfect

2. the highest degree of a quality, etc

   the perfection of faithfulness

3. an embodiment of perfection

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Other Word Forms

• hyperperfection noun
• nonperfection noun
• superperfection noun

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

Example Sentences

Saturday's race came down to a front group of 12 and Wollaston, who had two FDJ-United Suez teammates in support, including Dutch domestique Amber Kraak, timed her finishing sprint to perfection.

From Barron's

“I think you impressed him. He’s very kind but expects perfection.”

From Literature

“Everything is delicious, cooked to perfection,” Papa says.

From Literature

The hard bargain of public education has always been that it seeks to do the greatest good for the greatest number of kids, meaning it rarely offers perfection for individual children.

From Los Angeles Times

“Stocks are priced for near perfection,” said Bob Doll, chief investment officer at Crossmark Global Investments.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accomplishment
• evolution
• excellence
• fulfillment
• ideal
• integrity
• precision
• purity
• quality
• superiority
• supremacy
• transcendence
• virtue