as in defective
having a fault
an imperfect representation of the circumstances surrounding Paul Revere's famous ride
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Recent Examples of imperfect
Central bankers must be strong enough to listen to a diversity of views from all corners…humble enough to be open-minded to new ideas and new economic developments…wise enough to translate imperfect data into meaningful insight…and dedicated enough to make judgments faithfully and wisely.
—
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Basketball is an imperfect game.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Like any democracy, Israel is imperfect.
—Elad Strohmayer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Tasks like work extraction are part of a larger framework known as resource distillation, where useful properties are pulled out of imperfect systems.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperfect
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Basketball is an imperfect game.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Like any democracy, Israel is imperfect.
—Elad Strohmayer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Tasks like work extraction are part of a larger framework known as resource distillation, where useful properties are pulled out of imperfect systems.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperfect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperfect
Adjective
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But something proved defective in his plan or mind, and as a result, no one was killed.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
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The footage shows Coyote hiring billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and his legal team to sue the Acme corporation — represented by its slick corporate counsel, Buddy Crane (John Cena) — for its defective products.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Its 28-game start matches the expansion 1962 Mets — who lost 120 games — along with 1964 and 1983 for the second-worst in team history behind an 8-20 opening in 1981.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Ossai isn’t a bad pass rusher either, getting five sacks in each of the last two seasons, a total that somehow would’ve ranked second on the Jets last season.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Hubble famously launched to LEO with a flawed mirror, which was fixed by astronauts during a servicing mission in 1993.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Policymakers should be focused on unwinding this deeply flawed legacy, not doubling down on it.—
Elaine Parker,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperfect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperfect. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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