imperfection

I1M3P3E1R1F4E1C3T1I1O1N1
US/ɪmpɚˈfɛkʃən/

noun

Those qualities or features that are imperfect; the characteristic, state, or quality of being imperfect.

“He loves me despite my imperfections.”

Less commonScrabble 21

Meanings

nounimperfection (countable and uncountable, plural imperfections)

plural imperfections

  1. uncountableThose qualities or features that are imperfect; the characteristic, state, or quality of being imperfect.

    You can accept your imperfection or try to improve.

    1 more example

    And for the first time she realised what it was to escape from the smallish perfection of England, into the grander imperfection of a great continent.

    1920, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Journey Across”, in The Lost Girl, London: Martin Secker […], →OCLC, page 325

    Synonyms: corruption, fault, flaw, mark, problem, weakness

  2. countableSomething that makes something else less than perfect; a blemish, impurity, error, etc.

    He loves me despite my imperfections.

    2 more examples

    It will be sufficient for me if I discover many beauties or imperfections which others have not attended to; and I should be very glad to see one of our eminent writers publish their discoveries on the same subject.

    2026 November 8 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “SUNDAY, December 31, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 262; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 308

    Notice that cleavage has nothing to do with imperfections in the crystal. Indeed, if you try cleaving an imperfect crystal, you may find that it cannot be cleaved as well as a perfect one. The cleavage is the result of the orderliness of the atomic arrangement. No wonder imperfections, which disturb the orderliness, disturb the cleavage as well. You will also note that the cleavage directions are obedient to the symmetry of the crystal.

    1982, Alan Holden, Phylis Morrison, “Cleaving and Gliding Crystals”, in Crystals and Crystal Growing, Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press, →ISBN, page 202

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThose qualities or features that are imperfect; the characteristic, state, or quality of being imperfect.

antonym(s) of “quality of being imperfect”

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe state or an instance of being imperfect

Opposite
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinimperfectiōnem
  2. Old Frenchimperfeccion
  3. Englishimperfection

From Old French imperfeccion, from Latin imperfectiōnem, accusative of imperfectiō, from in- + perfectiō. By surface analysis, im- + perfection.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian несъвършенство, дефект
  • несъвършенство (nesăvăršenstvo)state of being imperfect
  • дефект (defekt)something that makes something else less than perfect
  • недостатък (nedostatăk)something that makes something else less than perfect
Catalan imperfecció, imperfecció
  • imperfeccióstate of being imperfect
  • imperfecciósomething that makes something else less than perfect
Czech nedokonalost, nedokonalost
  • nedokonaloststate of being imperfect
  • nedokonalostsomething that makes something else less than perfect
Dutch imperfectie, onvolmaaktheid
  • imperfectiestate of being imperfect
  • onvolmaaktheidstate of being imperfect
  • schoonheidsfoutsomething that makes something else less than perfect
Esperanto malperfektaĵo
  • malperfektaĵosomething that makes something else less than perfect
Finnish epätäydellisyys, puutteellisuus
  • epätäydellisyysstate of being imperfect
  • puutteellisuusstate of being imperfect
  • puutesomething that makes something else less than perfect
  • vikasomething that makes something else less than perfect
Greek ατέλεια, ατέλεια
  • ατέλεια (atéleia)state of being imperfect
  • ατέλεια (atéleia)something that makes something else less than perfect
  • ψεγάδι (psegádi)something that makes something else less than perfect
Hindi अपूर्णता
  • अपूर्णता (apūrṇatā)state of being imperfect
Hungarian tökéletlenség
  • tökéletlenségstate of being imperfect
Irish neamhfhoirfeacht
  • neamhfhoirfeachtstate of being imperfect
Māori takarepa
  • takarepasomething that makes something else less than perfect
Polish niedoskonałość, niedoskonałość
  • niedoskonałośćstate of being imperfect
  • niedoskonałośćsomething that makes something else less than perfect
Portuguese imperfeição, imperfeição
  • imperfeiçãostate of being imperfect
  • imperfeiçãosomething that makes something else less than perfect
Romanian imperfecțiune, imperfecțiune
  • imperfecțiunestate of being imperfect
  • imperfecțiunesomething that makes something else less than perfect
Russian несоверше́нство
  • несоверше́нство (nesoveršénstvo)state of being imperfect
Spanish imperfección
  • imperfecciónstate of being imperfect
Turkish kusursuzluk, mükemmellik
  • kusursuzlukstate of being imperfect
  • mükemmellikstate of being imperfect
  • mükemmeliyetstate of being imperfect
  • kusursomething that makes something else less than perfect
  • eksikliksomething that makes something else less than perfect
  • defosomething that makes something else less than perfect
Ukrainian недоскона́лість, недоскона́лість
  • недоскона́лість (nedoskonálistʹ)state of being imperfect
  • недоскона́лість (nedoskonálistʹ)something that makes something else less than perfect

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with imperfection

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

imperfection. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperfection

MLA

“imperfection.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperfection. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “imperfection,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperfection.

Source: imperfection on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.