Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: parfit, from Latin perfectus, past participle of perficere 'to do completely, finish'


1 adjective
per‧fect1 S2 W2
1 not having any mistakes, faults, or damage [≠ imperfect]:
His English was perfect.
The car was in perfect condition.
You're very lucky to have perfect teeth.
a perfect performance
In a perfect world, we wouldn't need an army.
2 as good as possible, or the best of its kind:
The weather was perfect the whole week.
a perfect example of Gothic architecture
The clothes were a perfect fit.
a perfect solution to the problem
Ronnie was in perfect health.
perfect timing (=used when something happens at exactly the right time)
Good, you're home. Perfect timing - dinner's on the table.
3 exactly what is needed for a particular purpose, situation, or person [= ideal]:
That's perfect! Just the way I wanted it to look.
Crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment to this soup.
perfect for
The land is perfect for sheep farming.
perfect way/place/time etc to do something
She thought she'd found the perfect place to live.
perfect day/place/person etc for something
a perfect day for a picnic
the perfect actor for the part

nobody's perfect

spoken said when you are answering someone who has criticized you or someone else:
So I made a mistake! Nobody's perfect.

have a perfect right to do something

used to emphasize that it is reasonable for someone to do something:
He has a perfect right to know what's happening.

perfect stranger/fool/angel etc

used to emphasize that someone has a particular quality completely [= complete, total]:
I felt a perfect idiot.

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