Word family noun perfection ≠ imperfection perfectionist perfectionism perfectibility adjective perfect ≠ imperfect perfectible perfectionist verb perfect adverb perfectly ≠ imperfectly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimperfectim‧per‧fect1 /ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt $ -ɜːr-/ ●○○ adjective PERFECTnot completely correct or perfect SYN flawed the imperfect world we live in —imperfectly adverb —imperfection /ˌɪmpəˈfekʃən $ -pər-/ noun [countable, uncountable]Examples from the Corpus
imperfect• You have to accept that most relationships are imperfect.• The copy is then imperfect and the proteins it will create may be entirely different.• For example, the modelling of the corporate sector, particularly allowing for imperfect competition, is likely to pose formidable problems.• Imperfect goods are sold off cheaply.• In practice, the invisible foot is sometimes a very imperfect incentive structure.• They had too much work to do in too little time with imperfect information and limited resources.• Democracy, no matter how imperfect, is still the best method of government.• In general, people have a very imperfect knowledge of the law.• Some readings seemed high, possibly because of imperfect masking of the plant boxes.• As a mere imperfect mortal, I find myself working twice as hard to introduce those whom I like to the Lord.• The conversation was limited by my imperfect Spanish.• She had even been able to effect an imperfect superimposition of her reality upon his own.• In the imperfect world in which we live, however, there exists a whole range of different interest rates.• She has anxieties and fears, like anyone else in this imperfect world.imperfectimperfect2 noun → the imperfectFrom Longman Business Dictionaryimperfectim‧per‧fect /ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt-ɜːr-/ adjective1MANUFACTURING imperfect goods, products etc have not been made completely correctlyYears ago, manufacturers used shopping malls to unload imperfect goods.2ECONOMICS used to describe markets or competition where competing products cannot be compared exactly because they are not exactly the same, not everyone has complete information about them etc. Most real markets are imperfectFor advocates of market allocation, government is a major source of imperfect competition. 