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Definitions for: Imperfect
[n] a tense of verbs used in describing action that is on-going
[adj] having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; "I'm only human"; "frail humanity"
[adj] not perfect; defective or inadequate; "had only an imperfect understanding of his responsibilities"; "imperfect mortals"; "drainage here is imperfect"
Webster (1913) Definition: Im*per"fect, a. [L. imperfectus: pref. im- not +
perfectus perfect: cf. F imparfait, whence OE. imparfit. See
Perfect.]
1. Not perfect; not complete in all its parts; wanting a
part; deective; deficient.
Something he left imperfect in the state. --Shak.
Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect. --Shak.
2. Wanting in some elementary organ that is essential to
successful or normal activity.
He . . . stammered like a child, or an amazed,
imperfect person. --Jer. Taylor.
3. Not fulfilling its design; not realizing an ideal; not
conformed to a standard or rule; not satisfying the taste
or conscience; esthetically or morally defective.
Nothing imperfect or deficient left Of all that he
created. --Milton.
Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault; Say
rather, man's as perfect as he ought. --Pope.
Imperfect arch, an arch of less than a semicircle; a skew
arch.
Imperfect cadence (Mus.), one not ending with the tonic,
but with the dominant or some other chord; one not giving
complete rest; a half close.
Imperfect consonances (Mus.), chords like the third and
sixth, whose ratios are less simple than those of the
fifth and forth.
Imperfect flower (Bot.), a flower wanting either stamens or
pistils. --Gray.
Imperfect interval (Mus.), one a semitone less than
perfect; as, an imperfect fifth.
Imperfect number (Math.), a number either greater or less
than the sum of its several divisors; in the former case,
it is called also a defective number; in the latter, an
abundant number.
Imperfect obligations (Law), obligations as of charity or
gratitude, which cannot be enforced by law.
Imperfect power (Math.), a number which can not be produced
by taking any whole number or vulgar fraction, as a
factor, the number of times indicated by the power; thus,
9 is a perfect square, but an imperfect cube.
Imperfect tense
(Gram), a tense expressing past time and incomplete
action.
Im*per"fect, n. (Gram.)
The imperfect tense; or the form of a verb denoting the
imperfect tense.
Im*per"fect, v. t.
To make imperfect. [Obs.]
Synonyms: blemished, broken, continuous tense, corrupt, corrupted, defective, fallible, faulty, flawed, frail, human, imperfect tense, progressive, progressive tense, weak
Antonyms: perfect
See Also: future progressive, future progressive tense, past progressive, past progressive tense, present progressive, present progressive tense, tense
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