perfect

A2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈpɝ.fɪkt/ UK /ˈpɜː.fɪkt/ See IPA manual

adj verb Freq #568

Meanings

1

adj
Having no faults or mistakes; as good as it can possibly be.

The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.
2

adj
Exactly right for a particular purpose or situation.

It was a perfect day for a picnic in the park.
3

adj
Exact and accurate.

The dancers moved with perfect timing.
4

verb
To make something as good as it can be.

She went to Paris to perfect her French.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having no faults or... flawless

3 adj · exact and accurate. accurate

4 verb · to make something as good... hone

More faultless hermaphroditic infalliblepreterperfect

Opposites

fallible faultful faulty flawed imperfect

Word family

Forms perfectedperfectingperfects

Derived forms all-perfectallperfectframe-perfecthemiperfectheptaperfecthyperperfectimperfectinch-perfectinsta-perfectletter-perfectmultiperfectnonperfect

Related forms perfectationperfecterperfectible

Common collocations

perfect moment Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon. Doublet of parfait, perfecto, and perfectus. Displaced native Old English fulfremed.

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European perfit Middle English parfit Old French perfectus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# perfect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈpɝ.fɪkt
**IPA (UK):** ˈpɜː.fɪkt
**Frequency rank:** 568

## Meanings
1. Having no faults or mistakes; as good as it can possibly be.
2. Exactly right for a particular purpose or situation.
3. Exact and accurate.
4. To make something as good as it can be.

## Examples
- The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.
- It was a perfect day for a picnic in the park.
- The dancers moved with perfect timing.
- She went to Paris to perfect her French.

## Synonyms
- faultless
- hermaphroditic
- infallible
- preterperfect

## Antonyms
- fallible
- faultful
- faulty
- flawed
- imperfect

## Derived Forms
- all-perfect
- allperfect
- frame-perfect
- hemiperfect
- heptaperfect
- hyperperfect
- imperfect
- inch-perfect
- insta-perfect
- letter-perfect
- multiperfect
- nonperfect

## Related Forms
- perfectation
- perfecter
- perfectible

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: perfit
- Root: parfit
- Root: perfectus

## Etymology
From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon. Doublet of parfait, perfecto, and perfectus. Displaced native Old English fulfremed.

## AI Etymology
Perfect comes from Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon. Doublet of parfait, perfecto, and perfectus. Displaced native Old English fulfremed. In present-day English it covers having no faults or mistakes; as good as it can possibly be, exactly right for a particular purpose or situation, and exact and accurate. The wider family includes derived forms such as all-perfect, allperfect, frame-perfect, hemiperfect, heptaperfect and related forms such as perfectation, perfecter, perfectible.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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