imperfection
nounUS /ɪmpɚˈfɛkʃən/
Etymology From Old French imperfeccion, see im- + perfection.
1
Those qualities or features that are imperfect; the characteristic, state, or quality of being imperfect.
- You can accept your imperfection or try to improve.
- And for the first time she realised what it was to escape from the smallish perfection of England, into the grander imperfection of a great continent.1920, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Journey Across”, in The Lost Girl, London: Martin Secker […], →OCLC, page 325:
2
Something that makes something else less than perfect; a blemish, impurity, error, etc.
- He loves me despite my imperfections.
- It will be sufficient for me if I discover many beauties or imperfections which others have not attended to; and I should be very glad to see one of our eminent writers publish their discoveries on the same subject.2026 August 3 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “MONDAY, December 31, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 262; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 308:
1 more example
- Notice that cleavage has nothing to do with imperfections in the crystal. Indeed, if you try cleaving an imperfect crystal, you may find that it cannot be cleaved as well as a perfect one. The cleavage is the result of the orderliness of the atomic arrangement. No wonder imperfections, which disturb the orderliness, disturb the cleavage as well. You will also note that the cleavage directions are obedient to the symmetry of the crystal.1982, Alan Holden, Phylis Morrison, “Cleaving and Gliding Crystals”, in Crystals and Crystal Growing, Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press, →ISBN, page 202:
- Antonyms
- flawlessness, perfection