perfect Definition

perfect
adj

1. Complete in all essential elements.

Thesaurus: complete, absolute, whole, entire, sound, utter, integral, full; Antonym: partial, unfinished.
2. Faultless; flawless.

Thesaurus: faultless, flawless, pure, immaculate, unadulterated, impeccable, infallible, correct, right; Antonym: defective, flawed.
3. Excellent; absolutely satisfactory.

Thesaurus: excellent, flawless, impeccable, ideal.
4. Exact.

Example: a perfect circle
5. colloq
Absolute; utter.
Example: perfect nonsense
6. bot.
Having androecium and gynaeceum in the same flower.
7. grammar.
Said of the tense or aspect of a verb: denoting an action completed at some time in the past or prior to the time spoken of.

noun

1. The perfect tense, in English formed with the auxiliary verb have and the past participle, denoting an action completed in the past (present perfect, eg I have written the letter) or was or will be completed at the time being spoken of (past perfect or pluperfect, eg I had written the letter; future perfect, eg I will have written the letter).
2. A verb in a perfect tense. Compare future, past, present, imperfect, pluperfect, progressive.

verb perfected, perfecting

1. To improve something to one's satisfaction.

Example: perfect one's Italian
Thesaurus: consummate, fine-tune, polish.
2. To finalize or complete.

Thesaurus: consummate, achieve, realize, finish, fulfil, complete, accomplish, effect.
3. To develop (a technique, etc) to a reliable standard.

Derivative: perfectly

See separate entry.

Derivative: perfectness
noun

Etymology: 13c: from Latin perficere to complete.