Adjacent Words

Perfection definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PERFEC'TION, n. [L. perfectio.] The state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; as perfection in an art or science; perfection in a system of morals.
1. Physical perfection, is when a natural object has all its powers, faculties or qualities entire and in full vigor, and all its parts in due proportion.
2. Metaphysical or transcendental perfection, is the possession of all the essential attributes or all the parts necessary to the integrity of a substance. This is absolute,where all defect is precluded, such as the perfection of God; or according to its kind, as in created things.
3. Moral perfection, is the complete possession of all moral excellence, as in the Supreme Being; or the possession of such moral qualities and virtues as a thing is capable of.
4. A quality, endowment or acquirement completely excellent, or of great worth.
In this sense, the word has a plural.
What tongue can her perfections tell?
5. An inherent or essential attribute of supreme or infinite excellence; or one perfect in its kind; as the perfections of God. The infinite power, holiness,justice, benevolence and wisdom of God are denominated his perfections.
6. Exactness; as, to imitate a model to perfection.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the state of being without a flaw or defect [syn: perfection, flawlessness, ne plus ultra] [ant: imperfection, imperfectness]
2: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept [syn: paragon, idol, perfection, beau ideal]
3: the act of making something perfect

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English perfeccioun, from Anglo-French perfection, from Latin perfection-, perfectio, from perficere Date: 13th century 1. the quality or state of being perfect: as a. freedom from fault or defect ; flawlessness b. maturity c. the quality or state of being saintly 2. a. an exemplification of supreme excellence b. an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence 3. the act or process of perfecting

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the act or process of making perfect. 2 the state of being perfect; faultlessness, excellence. 3 a perfect person, thing, or example. 4 an accomplishment. 5 full development; completion. Phrases and idioms: to perfection exactly; completely. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L perfectio -onis (as PERFECT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Perfection Per*fec"tion, v. t. To perfect. [Obs.] --Foote.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Perfection Per*fec"tion, n. [F. perfection, L. perfectio.] 1. The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill, or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science, or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in perfection. 2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement completely excellent; an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence. --Shak. What tongue can her perfections tell? --Sir P. Sidney. To perfection, in the highest degree of excellence; perfectly; as, to imitate a model to perfection.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Perfection is the quality of being as good as it is possible for something of a particular kind to be. Physical perfection in a human being is exceedingly rare. 2. If you say that something is perfection, you mean that you think it is as good as it could possibly be. The house and garden were perfection. N-UNCOUNT 3. The perfection of something such as a skill, system, or product involves making it as good as it could possibly be. Madame Clicquot is credited with the perfection of this technique. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n 4. If something is done to perfection, it is done so well that it could not be done any better. ...fresh fish, cooked to perfection. PHRASE: PHR after v

Easton's Bible Dictionary

See SANCTIFICATION.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Perfectness, maturity, com pletion, consummation, wholeness, excellence. 2. Excellent quality, beauty, excellence.

Moby Thesaurus

absoluteness, accomplishment, accuracy, achievement, acme, acme of perfection, aesthetic proportions, archetype, arete, attainment, attention to fact, beauties, beautification, belle tournure, bodily charm, bodily grace, care for truth, charms, climax, close, closure, completeness, completing, completion, conclusion, consummation, correctness, culmination, curvaceousness, curves, delicacy, development, elaboration, embellishment, end, ending, entireness, essence, evolution, exactitude, exactness, excellence, excellency, faithfulness, faultlessness, fidelity, fineness, finish, finishing, flawlessness, fulfillment, full development, good appearance, good effect, good figure, good looks, good points, good proportions, good shape, gracefulness, gracility, height, highest pitch, ideal, idealization, last word, literalism, literality, literalness, lovely build, mathematical precision, maturation, maturity, meticulousness, model, mould, ne plus ultra, nice body, niceness, nicety, paragon, pattern, peak, pink, pink of perfection, pinnacle, pneumaticness, preciseness, precision, purity, quality, quintessence, realization, refinement, right, rightness, rigidity, rigor, rigorousness, ripeness, ripening, rounding off, rounding out, seasoning, severity, sexy body, shapeliness, standard, strictness, sublimity, subtlety, summit, superiority, termination, terminus, textualism, the letter, top, topping off, topping-off, transcendence, ultimate, virtue, wholeness, windup