adj

imperfect

ihm-PUR-fihkt

adj

Not perfect; having flaws.

"Even an imperfect plan is better than no plan at all."

noun

A verb tense describing a past action that was ongoing or repeated.

"French uses the imperfect to describe habitual past actions."

How to Use Imperfect

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFlawed or incomplete — or, in grammar, the tense for past actions that were ongoing rather than finished.

Common pairings

imperfect solution imperfect world imperfect tense

more imperfect comparative, imperfected past tense, imperfects plural, imperfects singular, most imperfect superlative

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Even an _____ plan is better than no plan at all.

From Old French imparfit, from Latin imperfectus; im- + perfect.

perfect