perfection

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English

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Etymology

From Middle English perfeccioun, from Old French perfection, from Latin perfectiō. Displaced native Old English fulfremednes.

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛkʃən

Noun

perfection (countable and uncountable, plural perfections)

  1. The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing substandard remains; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence
    We seek complete perfection.
    The system runs to perfection.
    to imitate a model to perfection
  2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement completely excellent; an ideal; faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence.

Quotations

  • 1784, William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE
    THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Perſons of the firſt diſtinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ſeveral new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and diſtinguiſh it from others ; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

perfection (third-person singular simple present perfections, present participle perfectioning, simple past and past participle perfectioned)

  1. (now uncommon and nonstandard, transitive) To perfect.
    • 1762, [Samuel] Foote, The Orators. [], Dublin: [] Thomas Richey, [], →OCLC, Act I, page 10:
      My plan, gentlemen, is to be conſider'd as a ſuperſtructure on that admirable foundation laid by the modern profeſſor of Engliſh, both our labours tending to the ſame general end; the perfectioning of our countrymen in a moſt eſſential article, the right uſe of their native language.
    • 1770, William Woty, Mock Invocation to Genius[1]:
      Sooner I'd kneel unto the modern nine / Alike perfectioned, though a virgin's name / They cannot boast []
    • 2001 December 3, OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol, “AHSM Storytellers, Profiles”, in alt.hentai.sailor-moon[2] (Usenet):
      The most vain of the Assistants, she knows she's beautiful and let it know to the world. Acts like an ojousama and spends most of her time perfectioning her make-up.

References

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin perfectiōnem.

Pronunciation

Noun

perfection f (uncountable)

  1. perfection

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle French

Noun

perfection f (plural perfections)

  1. perfection