as in improperly
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of imperfectly
The marathon showed that robots can run—imperfectly, but convincingly enough.
—
Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
They can be done imperfectly without being done disastrously.
—Leslie John, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Yet, like Bessette’s relationship with the Kennedy family scion, her eternity band is shrouded in mystery—imperfectly recorded through rumors, second-hand accounts, and myths invented by the press and populace.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
While Julia-Roberts-as-Liz-Gilbert’s story ended, Liz-Gilbert-as-Liz-Gilbert is still moving ahead, honestly and imperfectly.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Inspired by the designs of the Belgian interior designer and art dealer Axel Vervoordt, its wabi-sabi interiors are an imperfectly perfect melange of cool-toned walls and warm natural materials.
—Lisa Grainger, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
That lineage reaches back to the Taíno people of Borikén, whose social organization, relationship to land, communal life, and expressive culture were documented, however imperfectly and through colonial lenses, by figures such as Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé de las Casas.
—Dr. Carlos A Torre, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Parents can manage logistics while letting their sons own decisions, even imperfectly.
—Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Winnicott insisted that love, imperfectly given, was enough to get a child started.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
They can be done imperfectly without being done disastrously.
—Leslie John, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Yet, like Bessette’s relationship with the Kennedy family scion, her eternity band is shrouded in mystery—imperfectly recorded through rumors, second-hand accounts, and myths invented by the press and populace.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
While Julia-Roberts-as-Liz-Gilbert’s story ended, Liz-Gilbert-as-Liz-Gilbert is still moving ahead, honestly and imperfectly.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Inspired by the designs of the Belgian interior designer and art dealer Axel Vervoordt, its wabi-sabi interiors are an imperfectly perfect melange of cool-toned walls and warm natural materials.
—Lisa Grainger, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
That lineage reaches back to the Taíno people of Borikén, whose social organization, relationship to land, communal life, and expressive culture were documented, however imperfectly and through colonial lenses, by figures such as Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé de las Casas.
—Dr. Carlos A Torre, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Parents can manage logistics while letting their sons own decisions, even imperfectly.
—Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Winnicott insisted that love, imperfectly given, was enough to get a child started.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperfectly
Adverb
-
There are sometimes mid-decade redistrictings, including the one in Florida in 2015 after the state Supreme Court ruled some districts were improperly drawn.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities recovered 189 sets of remains from the Penrose building and said two other bodies were improperly buried.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
It should be noted that a tree or any other plant, for that matter, does not stand much of a chance in the long term where the soil drains inadequately.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Juries in the two trials determined that Meta inadequately policed its site, putting kids in harm’s way.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Because every experience a child has during their early years helps create new neural connections, wiring the brain for all future learning and connecting, encounters with AI slop may literally wire the brain incorrectly.—
Dana Suskind,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
It is being framed incorrectly.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
But that didn't stop Vrabel from putting him on notice that, rightly or wrongly in the coach's opinion, everyone must represent the team in a certain way.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After Navarro filed a complaint alleging the work had been wrongly kept from her, a Madrid judge, acting with the support of prosecutors, ordered Spain’s Ministry of Culture to take custody of it citing its potential importance to the country’s historical heritage.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
An earlier version of this story erroneously stated which brewery won gold in the West Coast-style IPA category.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
-
That forecast, Braun said, erroneously based on tariff impacts, has changed for the better.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In 2024, Abbott recalled several lots of Libre 3 sensors due to inaccurately high readings.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Trump was inaccurately describing federal data.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled Monday that Thao and her three co-defendants failed to prove government authorities acted inappropriately or hid damning details about their star witness while building their sprawling corruption case in the first half of 2024.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Guadalupe Mercado-Guerra, from Mexico, reportedly touched a minor inappropriately multiple times in Travis County, Texas, near the city of Austin.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Along similar lines, January 6 defendants and their advocates, who perceive Dhillon as insufficiently supportive of their cause, have voiced anger over her potential promotion.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The crowd at an event for James Fishback, a Florida gubernatorial candidate, who, like many other young conservatives, considers MAGA insufficiently radical.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperfectly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperfectly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
