Perfect tense

Perfect tense
Perfect Per"fect, a. [OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see {Per-}) + facere to make, do. See {Fact}.] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. [1913 Webster]

My strength is made perfect in weakness. --2 Cor. xii. 9. [1913 Webster]

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

I fear I am not in my perfect mind. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

O most entire perfect sacrifice! --Keble. [1913 Webster]

God made thee perfect, not immutable. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. Well informed; certain; sure. [1913 Webster]

I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of flower. [1913 Webster]

{Perfect cadence} (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant.

{Perfect chord} (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave.

{Perfect number} (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See {Abundant number}, under {Abundant}. --Brande & C.

{Perfect tense} (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • perfect tense — noun a tense of verbs used in describing action that has been completed (sometimes regarded as perfective aspect) (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑perfective, ↑perfective tense, ↑perfect • Hypernyms: ↑tense • Hyponyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • perfect tense, the — perfect ,tense, the noun LINGUISTICS the form of a verb used for talking about an action that has been completed before the present time. In the sentence Sharon has gone home, has gone is the perfect tense of go. => FUTURE PERFECT, PAST… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • ˈperfect ˌtense, the — noun [singular] linguistics the form of a verb that is used for talking about an action that has been completed before the present time. It is formed in English with ‘have and a past participle. See: future perfect, past perfect, present perfect …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • perfect tense — noun A verb form indicating that an action or state has been completed at the present time, in the past, or will be completed in the future …   Wiktionary

  • Present perfect tense — The present perfect tense is a perfect tense used to express action that has been completed with respect to the present. (The word perfect in its name refers to the idea of completion of being now finished rather than to perfection in the sense… …   Wikipedia

  • Future perfect tense — The future perfect tense is used to describe an event that has not yet happened but which is expected or planned to happen before another stated occurrence. Formation of the future perfect in English In English, this tense is formed as… …   Wikipedia

  • past perfect tense — noun a perfective tense used to express action completed in the past I had finished is an example of the past perfect • Syn: ↑past perfect, ↑pluperfect, ↑pluperfect tense • Hypernyms: ↑perfective, ↑perfective tense, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • future perfect tense — noun a perfective tense used to describe action that will be completed in the future I will have finished is an example of the future perfect • Syn: ↑future perfect • Hypernyms: ↑perfective, ↑perfective tense, ↑perfect, ↑perfect tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • present perfect tense — noun a perfective tense used to express action completed in the present I have finished is an example of the present perfect • Syn: ↑present perfect • Hypernyms: ↑perfective, ↑perfective tense, ↑perfect, ↑perfect tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • (the) perfect tense — the perfect tense UK US noun linguistics the form of a verb that is used for talking about an action that has been completed before the present time. In the sentence ‘Sharon has gone home’, ‘has gone’ is the perfect tense of ‘go’. Thesaurus: verb …   Useful english dictionary

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