imperfect

UK: /ɪmˈpɜː^rfɪkt/ US: /ɪmˈpɝfɪkt/ ,(im pûr′fikt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•per•fect /ɪmˈpɜrfɪkt/   adj. 

1. of, relating to, or having defects or weaknesses:
   imperfect vision.
2. lacking completeness:
   imperfect knowledge.
3. Grammar of or naming a verb tense or form that shows a repeated, habitual, or continuing action or state in the past, or an action or state that was in progress at a point of reference in the past:
   The Spanish verb form hablaban, which means "they used to speak'' or "they were speaking,'' is in the imperfect tense.

n. [uncountable* usually: the + ~]

4. Grammar the imperfect tense;
   a verb form in this tense:
   Use the imperfect in the next two sentences.

im•per•fect•ly, adv.: 

I spoke English imperfectly at first.

im•per•fect•ness, n. [uncountable] See -fec-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•per•fect  (im pûr′fikt), adj. 

1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by defects or weaknesses:
   imperfect vision.
2. not perfect;
   lacking completeness:
   imperfect knowledge.
3. Grammar noting action or state still in process at some temporal point of reference, particularly in the past.
4. Law being without legal effect or support;
   unenforceable.
5. Botany (of a flower) diclinous.
6. Music and Dance of or relating to the interval of a major or minor third or sixth. Cf. perfect (def. 12a).

n. [Gram.]

7. Grammar the imperfect tense.
8. Grammar another verb formation or construction with imperfect meaning.
9. Grammar a form in the imperfect, as Latin portābam, "I was carrying.''

• Latin, as above
• Middle French imparfait
• Latin imperfectus unfinished (see im-², perfect); replacing Middle English imparfit
• 1300–50

im•per′fect•ly, adv. 
im•per′fect•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. defective, faulty.
• 2. incomplete, underdeveloped; immature.

Antonyms

• 2. complete, developed.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

imperfect / ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt/ adjective

1. exhibiting or characterized by faults, mistakes, etc; defective
2. not complete or finished; deficient
3. denoting a tense of verbs used most commonly in describing continuous or repeated past actions or events, as for example was walking as opposed to walked
4. (of a trust, an obligation, etc) lacking some necessary formality to make effective or binding; incomplete; legally unenforceable
   See also executory1
5. (of a cadence) proceeding to the dominant from the tonic, subdominant, or any chord other than the dominant
6. of or relating to all intervals other than the fourth, fifth, and octave
   Compare perfect9

noun

1. the imperfect tense
2. a verb in this tense

imˈperfectly adverb

imˈperfectness noun