imperfect
UK[ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt]US[ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt]
adj
Not perfect; having faults or mistakes.
adj
(Grammar, of a tense) Denoting a past action in progress but not completed at the time in question.
n
(The imperfect) The imperfect tense.
Morpheme Breakdown
im
perfect
im
not
perfect
complete
Etymology
The word 'imperfect' entered English in the late 14th century via Old French 'imperfait', which itself descended from Latin 'imperfectus'. This Latin term is a compound of the negative prefix 'in-' (meaning "not") and the past participle 'perfectus' (from 'perficere', meaning "to complete, finish"). The literal sense is "not completed" or "unfinished". Over time, this core meaning of incompletion broadened to encompass the general sense of having flaws or deficiencies, moving from a state of process to a state of quality. In grammatical terminology, it specifically retains the original sense of an ongoing or incomplete past action.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + perfect (complete)
- im: A prefix of Latin origin, a form of 'in-' meaning "not" or "without".
- perfect: From Latin 'perfectus', meaning "completed, finished, accomplished". In English, it means having all the required elements, qualities, or characteristics; flawless.
Examples
The vase was beautiful, though slightly imperfect.
In French, the imperfect tense is often used to describe habitual past actions.
We live in an imperfect world and must learn to accept its flaws.