adjective
imperfect
im-PUR-fikt/ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/
Having faults or lacking completeness.
The imperfect bowl has an uneven rim and a small glaze blemish.
Etymology
The pieces express something not completely made or finished. Completion came to imply that nothing was lacking, so its negative covers both unfinished things and things with flaws.
In context
it's better to let the even imperfect free-market we have now just sort it out I mean we do have competition even if it's not as grainy or granular as we would like
More examples
- The store sells imperfect bowls at a discount.
- My memory of that summer is imperfect.
- Doctors sometimes make decisions with imperfect information.
Forms
imperfect · more imperfect · most imperfect
imperfection noun — A fault or lack of completeness.
imperfectly adverb — With faults or without full completeness.
Similar words
- flawed
- Emphasizes specific faults rather than missing parts or information.
- incomplete
- Emphasizes missing parts rather than faults in what exists.
- defective
- Usually describes faults that prevent something from working properly.