Perfection

/pərˈfekʃən/

nounmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The state or condition of being perfect; the highest degree of excellence.

/pərˈfekʃən/

nounpositivemedium
General

The state of being perfect; the quality of being complete and without any flaws or defects.

The pursuit of perfection is a driving force for many artists.

💡 Simply: When something is perfection, it means it’s the very best it can be, with no mistakes or problems. Imagine a perfectly made cake with not a single crumb out of place, or a goal perfectly scored in a soccer game.

👶 For kids: Being the best something can be, with no mistakes.

More Examples

2

The chef aimed for culinary perfection in his new dish.

3

She spent hours practicing to achieve perfection in her piano piece.

How It's Used

General

"He strives for perfection in all his endeavors."

Art

"The artist sought perfection in every brushstroke."

Technology

"The pursuit of technological perfection drives innovation."

Idioms & expressions

in perfection

Completely perfect; with no flaws.

"The restoration brought the painting back to its original beauty in perfection."

strive for perfection

To try very hard to achieve something that is as good as possible, with no faults.

"The athlete would strive for perfection in every competition"

From Middle English perfeccioun, from Old French perfeccion, from Latin perfectio ('a completing, finishing'), from perfectus ('completed, finished').

The word 'perfection' has been used since the Middle Ages, often in religious or philosophical contexts to describe the state of being without sin or flaw. Later, it extended to describe the highest standard of achievement in various fields.

Memory tip

Think of a perfectly polished gem – flawless and complete.

Word Origin

Root: perfectus

perfeccionperffection

Usage

35%Spoken
65%Written