perfect means fitting its definition precisely.
perfect is pronounced /ˈpɜː.fɪkt/.
Why “perfect” is a great word
Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit, from Latin perfectus ("completed"), the past participle of perficere ("to finish, to complete"), from per- ("thoroughly") + facere ("to do, to make"); the spelling was altered in the 15th century to reflect the Latin etymon. Unlike "flawless" (which merely notes an absence of blemishes) or "ideal" (which often floats, abstract and unattainable, in the conceptual realm), "perfect" is the heavy, realized conclusion of a process. It is the final, satisfying click of a puzzle piece into its one true place; the silence after a sentence that needs no revision; the egg timer's ring when the yolk has achieved that precise, impossible viscosity—a state of being both whole and utterly closed, the shadow of its own decay already falling in the instant of completion.
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.
adj
- Fitting its definition precisely.“a perfect circle”
- Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.“That bucket with the hole in the bottom is a poor bucket, but it is perfect for watering plants.”
- Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.“The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.”
- Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.; Exact, correctly reflecting the original in all aspects.“The expert forger made a perfect copy of the victim's driver's license”
- Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.; Having thoroughly learned or memorized a part.
- Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.; Having thoroughly learned or memorized a lesson; of a lesson: having been thoroughly learned or memorized.“Practice makes perfect.”
- Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.; Fully trained or very knowledgeable; highly skilled“Our Battaile is more full of Names then yours, / Our Men more perfect in the vse of Armes, / Our Armor all as strong, our Cause the best”
- Excellent and delightful in all respects.“a perfect day”
- Morally or spiritually immaculate or ideal.“Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace”
- Representing a completed action.
- Sexually mature and fully differentiated.
- Having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).
- Equal to the sum of its proper divisors.“6 is perfect because the sum of its proper divisors, 1, 2, and 3, which is 6, is equal to the number itself.”
- Equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set A is perfect if A=A'.
- Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.“perfect fifth”
noun
- The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
- A perfect score; the achievement of finishing a stage or task with no mistakes.“Awarded for scoring all Perfects in the Dominator rank!”
- A leader of the Cathar movement.
verb
- To make perfect; to improve or hone.“I am going to perfect this article.”
- To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.“perfect an appeal”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.